


Adios, Netherworld!

by SaberTheFallenAngel



Category: Disgaea (Games), Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice, Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crossover, F/M, Fan submitted characters, Gen, Humor, Lots of fight scenes, Sexual Humor, Strength
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2018-02-10 02:48:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 53
Words: 194,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2008128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaberTheFallenAngel/pseuds/SaberTheFallenAngel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collaboration between SaberTheFallenAngel and Mirai666.</p><p>Shinjiro died and wound up in Evil Academy. Now nothing will stop him from getting back to the world of the living, even if he has to fight the Overlord! But something else is stirring, something greater than anything he's ever known. It's time to face the light!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Character Sheet

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Saber here! Welcome to Adios, Netherworld! This is a story originally posted on Fanfiction.net that I've worked on for a while (as of this writing it still isn't finished), that I've decided to share with everyone here on the Archive Of Our Own. It's still being updated, and all updates will go to Fanfiction first, but should appear here not long after. Below is a list of various characters that will play a large role in the story, some of which were created by me and my collaborator Mirai666. Other characters created by some of our other readers will appear later in, and you will receive information on them as they appear.
> 
> Also, a quick note that in the setting of my story, Minato (MC) and Hamuko (FemC) both existed. They were twins and joint leaders of SEES.

**Characters**

**Shinjiro Aragaki**

Title: Persona User

Voice: Grant George

Weapon types: Axe, Fist, Sword

Skills:

All axe, fist and sword skills

 _Relentless assault_ (Shinjiro's critical attack) Description: _Use your head!_ Range: 1 (Knocks enemy back one square)

 _Castor's blade_ (Summons Castor to strike the enemy before throwing the spearhead in his chest at them) Description: _I guess the spearhead was good for something…_ Range: 1 (2 spaces ahead)

 _Might of the Earth_ (Shinjiro's evolved Persona strikes with fists of earth) Description: _As solid as his resolve._ Range: 5 (Plus formation, can strike anywhere in a 5 square radius)

Description: The hero of the story and the first to arrive in the Netherworld. The only sane one, if a little confrontational. Wants to return to life to in case Takaya tries to hurt his friends again. Was dating Hamuko Arisato before his death and was a valued member of SEES.

Evility: _Determination_ (When HP hits 0, restore 10% of max HP (Once per battle))

**Takeharu Kirijo**

Title: Kirijo CEO

Voice: Derek Stephen Prince

Weapon types: Sword, Gun

Skills:

All sword and gun skills

All ice spells

 _Twin blast_ (Kirijo pulls out a second pistol and repeatedly shoots a nearby enemy) Description: _Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection._ Range: 1 (can hit anywhere in a 9 square line)

 _Cold heart_ (Kirijo covers a rapier in ice and begins striking his opponent with it) Description: _He's warm underneath. Honest!_ Range: 1

 _Frozen kingdom_ (Kirijo summons a golem of ice to freeze his enemies) Description: _Only through coldness can we protect those we love._ Range: 4 (square formation, can strike anywhere in a 6 square radius)

Description: The second to arrive in the Netherworld and the smartest of the group. Has a way with words and money. Learned fencing alongside his daughter but feels more comfortable with a pistol. Wants to return to life to see his daughter again. Has a particular talent for ice magic. Secretly a pervert.

Evility: _Icy Heart (_ 50% more damage dealt, but healing items and spells effects are reduced.)

**Chidori Yoshino**

Title: Ex-Strega Member

Voice: Mona Marshall

Weapon types: Axe, Sword, Gun

Skills:

All axe, sword and gun skills

All fire spells

All healing spells

 _Axe flurry_ (Chidori pulls out an axe on a chain, sets it on fire and strikes an enemy with it numerous times) Description: _How… passionate…_ Range: 1 (can strike anywhere in a 4 square radius)

 _Drawing death_ (Chidori draws a Chernobog and has Medea give it life) Description: _Now draw a monkey!_ Range: 1

 _Fountain of life_ (Chidori has Medea heal herself and others) Description: _For a healer, she hurts herself a lot…_ Range: 13 (effects all units in a 2 square radius, including self)

Description: The third to arrive in the Netherworld. Continues to hurt herself. Responds to everything with either boredom or slight surprise. Becomes even sadder whenever she remembers Junpei. Wants to return to life so she can be with Junpei again.

Evility: _Spring of Life_ (Regains 10% max HP per turn)

**Akihiro (Created by SaberTheFallenAngel)**

Title: Fight Fanatic

Voice: Todd Haberkorn

Weapon types: Fist, Spear

Skills:

All fist and spear skills

 _Shredder Fist_ (Aki repeatedly punches his enemy before hitting them with an uppercut) Description: _Based on his master's kick._ Range: 1

 _Infernal Strike_ (Aki summons a female fire spirit and the two repeatedly punch and kick their opponent before summoning a giant fire ball to engulf their target) Description: _Awaken the fires in your soul!_ Range: 1

 _Lightning bolt fist_ (Akihiro summons a god of lightning who slams his fist into the enemy) Description: _Wrath of the Gods!_ Range: 9 (square formation)

Appearance: A man with white, shoulder length hair. He wears a red, open front vest with a pair of baggy jeans.

Description: A Fury Fatalist Shinjiro meets when he first enters the Netherworld. He reminds Shinjiro of Akihiko. He seeks strength but is usually too relaxed to do anything about it. Decides to help Shinjiro in his journey.

Evility: _Enthusiasm (_ Stats increase by 10% * number of enemies on the field)

**Masaru (Created by SaberTheFallenAngel)**

Title: Ronin Strategist

Voice: Travis Willingham

Weapon types: Sword

Skills:

All sword skills

 _Black Claw_ (Masaru's hand is covered in a black ooze, turning it into a claw which he uses to repeatedly slash the enemy) Description: _Let the darkness consume you!_ Range: 1

 _Zanmato_ (Masaru summons a katana with a wooden handle and sheath and slices clean through his enemy. When he sheaths his sword, the enemy suffers the damage) Description: _The blade is the only truth of this world._ Range: 1 (Chance of instant death)

 _Black Dragon_ (Masaru rides a dragon made of shadows directly into his opponent, slicing through them as he goes) Description: _Light is overrated…_ Range: 1 (can strike anywhere in an 8 square radius)

Appearance: A man dressed entirely in black, with matching hair, which covers his eyes. He wears a black Haori and Hakama under a black longcoat.  

Description: A Ronin and Akihiro's best friend. He is very quiet and to the point, not stopping to think his bluntness might hurt someone. Believes highly in honour despite being a demon.

Evility: _Tactical Attack (_ Stats increase by 10% * number of allies on the field.)

**Dai (Created by SaberTheFallenAngel)**

Title: Blade Expert

Voice: Troy Baker

Weapon types: Axe, Sword

Skills:

All sword and axe skills

 _Flying Sword_ (Dai throws his sword into the air, then hits it with his axe, propelling it blade first into his enemy. He then jumps forward and pulls it out of them) Description: _Requires precise timing._ Range: 1 (Hits three squares in front of Dai, moves Dai to directly in front of his target)

 _Painful Dream_ (Dai breathes out a cloud of smoke, engulfing his foes. Once inside, he attacks all with his blades while they desperately try to find him. After several attacks, he clears the smoke, revealing a line of explosives barrels surrounding his foes, which then detonates) Description: _This won't have a happy ending._ Range: 8 (Hits all foes in the eight squares around Dai)

 _The Bladed King_ (Dai summons a statue with 8 arms, 4 holding axes, 4 holding swords and it begins attacking enemies) Description: _Now you can have both!_ Range: 5 (plus formation, can strike anywhere in a 4 square radius)

Appearance: A man with black hair covering one of his eyes, held in place by a sloppy bandana. He wears a dark blue hoodie and combat pattern pants.

Description: A Fighter who is friends with Akihiro. He can never decide between a sword or an axe. He and Juro get along very well. Has a hatred of Monster types.

Evility: _Dual Wield (_ One less armour slot, but can use two weapons.)

**Juro (Created by SaberTheFallenAngel)**

Title: Sniper

Voice: Chris Patton 

Weapon types: Gun

Skills:

All gun skills

 _Gun Juggler_ (Juro pulls out three guns and starts juggling them, firing a shot at his enemy every time he catches one, before firing all three at once) Description: _The ultimate form of recklessness._ Range: 3 (Sideways line, two squares in front of Juro)

 _Cursed Bullet_ (Juro loads his gun with a glowing green bullet and fires it at the enemy. After a few seconds, a Chernobog bursts out of the wound, dealing huge damage as it does) Description: _One shot's all he needs._ Range: 1 (Can hit any of the nine squares directly in front of Juro)

 _Gun Reaper_ (Juro summons the Reaper to blast the enemy with gunfire) Description: _Dive into Tarturus once more!_ Range: 9 (Straight line)

Appearance: A man with messy, dark blonde hair covered by a large hat. An equally large poncho covers his upper body.

Description: A Gunner who is friends with Akihiro. He is very impulsive, and prone to firing his gun wildly when startled. Feels the need to prove that he's different from his many brothers and that he is the best. He is best friends with Dai.

Evility: _High Ground (_ 99% accuracy when shooting at lower targets)

**Mei (Created by Mirai666)**

Title: Mysterious Demon

Voice: Laura Bailey 

Weapons: Guns, Spears, Axe, Staff

Skills:

All gun, spear, axe skills and all types of magic skills from disgaea 4

 _Please Die For Me_ (Mei creates serveral white energy spheres which hit the foe, she then snaps her fingers which are glowing with black flames and the white spheres around the foe becomes black consumes the foe creating an explosion. )Description: _She ain't joking_... Range:3 (three tiles, star damage.)

 _Monochorme Duet_ (Mei summons another her and both proceed to crush and kick the enemy in sychoronized patterns.)Description: _One was bad enough!_ Range:8(one tile)

 _Death Requiem_ (Mei sucks all surrounding characters into a black hole and surroud the area in the area brightens to show Mei with her wings more larger and spread then proceeds to obliberate the characters in the black hole with light and black beams.)Description: _May your deaths be as painless as possible_. Range:5(nine tiles,star damage.)

Appearance:Resembles Hamuko with expection of her long black hair with white streaks and bangs. Has pointy ears, piercing red eyes with slits, has a pair of wings, one black demon wing and the other one is a strange black feather wing. Wears a red torsolette with black shoulder straps, long black fingerless gloves, a black mini frilly skirt, black thigh high stockings with suspenders and laced up white boots. For accessories she wears a spiked blackleather choaker with a small chain attached to it, large white wrist cuffs on each wrist with silver spikes and chains and two with buckle belts around her waist and skirt.

Description: A strange demon and known as a diligent honour student at evil academy. One minute she can be angelic, emoitionless and blunt, the next would reveal her twisted personaliy that enjoys to tease people by bringing emotional weakness which humiliates and agonize other characters and can still be calm without a change in expression. Due to this somewhat twisted and murderous personality, many demons including Mao are afraid of her and tend to stay clear from her. Her greatest wish is to torture a human due to her curiousity in them, thus follows Shinjiro despite his attempts and threats to get rid of her, though he can't bring himself to hate her. Must be because she looks like Hamuko.

Evility: _Death Wish_ (Adjacent enemies have their stats decreased by 50%)


	2. Chapter 1 – The End Is The Beginning.

**Chapter 1 – The End Is The Beginning.**

* * *

"This is how it should be…"

Those were his last words before all his strength left him, and he collapsed onto the cold ground. He could hear the others panicking, desperately looking for a way to stop the bleeding. But he knew, and deep down so did they, that there was no saving him now. He closed his eyes and all went quiet.

…Until a large bell rang.

Shinjiro sat up with a start, confused about the loud noise he heard. As soon as the surprise wore off he noticed several very important details. First, he wasn't in the alleyway anymore. Second, none of the other members of SEES were there. And third, he wasn't bleeding. That meant that either this was the afterlife or he had somehow avoided death. Having reached this conclusion, he decided to look around.

He was in a large hall of some sort, to his left was what looked like a makeshift hospital and some sort of shop. To his right were two shops which were selling all sorts of bizarre weapons and armour. In front of him was what looked like a butler standing in the middle of a circle, which appeared to be glowing beneath him. And behind him was…

A statue of a penguin reading a book…

Shinji had seen many strange things in his short life but that had to have been the strangest.

After pinching himself several times to check if he was dreaming, Shinji decided to check what he had with him. Thankfully, he still had his pants, shirt and shoes so he wasn't going to cause a scene. Shinji was also glad to find that his hat still sat firmly on his head. Sadly, since he hadn't brought any of them with him to that alley, all of his weapons and armour were missing, with the exception of his Evoker. To make things worse, even though he had his Evoker, he could feel that he didn't have the energy to summon his Persona. If something happened, he'd have to defend himself with his bare hands.

"Well, you look nice and strong."

Sometimes Shinji is convinced the universe hates him.

Turning around, he saw a figure leaning against the statue with his arms crossed and a playful smile on his face. The man has silver hair and wears an open front red jacket, with no shirt underneath, revealing his muscular chest. He wore what looked like baggy jeans with pure black trainers that were both covered in dirt.

"I've been looking for someone strong. Now, fight me!" The man yelled as he struck a fighting stance, his smile growing larger.

Shinji, being a master of words and an expert on conversation said the most reasonable thing he could think of.

"No." Having said this, he decided that now was as good a time as any to leave. The stranger however had different plans and jumped in front of Shinjiro with incredible speed.

"I don't think so. I've issued you a challenge, and you have to accept it!" The man clearly wasn't taking no for an answer. Shinji sighed, realising that if he wanted to find out what was going on, he'd have to go through this guy.

"Fine. But when this is over, you're answerin' my questions." He cracked his knuckles to prove his point. If anything this just made his opponent happier.

"Heh, as long as you fight, I don't care. Show me what you got!"

With that both men charged at each other, their right fists raised, ready to strike. The mysterious man swung first, aiming directly for Shinjiro's face. For once Shinji was thankful for Ahihiko's obsessive desire to fight and grow stronger, as he knew exactly how to counter this. Turning his body, he was able to dodge the attack, and in the same motion struck his opponents nose with the side of his head, before turning again and punching the man in the back of the head.

Shinji looked at his collapsed opponent. That had been easier than he thought. Of course, since nothing can ever go right in his life, the silver haired man swiftly jumped to his feet, his nose clearly broken but his spirit seemed to burn even stronger than before.

"Yes yes YES! You ARE strong! Oh man, Just the thought of fighting you is making my heart race!"

"Are you here to fight or just flirt?"

"Hah! And he's got an attitude to him! Even better!" Again the man charged. Shinjiro knew that he couldn't back down now and got ready to keep fighting.

Before either man reached each other though, a sword was thrown between them, causing the obsessed fighter to stop in his tracks. Both turned to see a man in a black longcoat over what appeared to be a hakama and haori, a sword was strapped to his coat's hip and an empty scabbard was on the opposite side. His hair was black and unkempt, almost completely covering his eyes. Despite this, both men could feel that he was glaring at them.

Without a word, he approached the silver haired man, who raised his hand in greeting, "Hey, MasaAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The sight of his opponent being flipped over and slammed back first into a large statue was sudden and made Shinjiro nervous on if he would have to fight this guy as well.

"Idiot. You were supposed to get our lunch, not start random fights."

Now Shinjiro was very confused.

"But, Masaru! This guy's strong! And you know I've gotta keep practising!"

"Do that in your own time. Not when it's your turn to get us food. The others are starving and I'm getting hungry too. Where's. My. Lunch?"

"It's, err, on the other side of the statue…"

"You mean that empty bag?"

"What!?"

The silver haired man looked and noticed that the bag was indeed empty.

"You lost our food because you're too busy fighting." The coat wearing man said before slapping his friend (?) on the back of the head

Shinjiro had become tired of this and decided that enough was enough. "Will somebody tell me what the HELL is going on!?"

Both men turned to him, having clearly forgotten he was there. "Well, my friends sent me to get their lunches but then I saw you and-"

"I get that part! I mean, where am I!?"

Now both men seemed confused and glanced at each other before continuing. The unkempt man, Masaru, decided to answer that question. "This is the Nether Institute, Evil Academy. The school for demons."

"…What?"

And thus the young Persona user, Shinjiro Aragaki, found himself in the Netherworld.


	3. Chapter 2 – Meeting the gang

**Chapter 2 – Meeting the gang**

* * *

The three men stood there, staring at each other, waiting for someone to do something. Shinjiro was still in a mild case of shock from what he had just heard. He was in a school for demons. How was that even possible? After asking himself this question a thousand times in the span of three seconds, he realised that his brain wasn't going to give him an answer, but maybe the two supposed demons could.

"You said you'd answer my questions if I beat you. Well I've got a lot of questions, and you're answerin' 'em!"

"Hey! You didn't beat me! Our fight was interrupted!" The silver haired man yelled before turning to leave. The second man however grabbed his arm before he could, what little could be seen of his eyes never leaving Shinji.

"You were going to lose anyway. Honour your word." He said simply before once again flipping his friend onto his back, his head landing at just the right angle for Shinjiro to loom over him.

"*Sigh* Did you HAVE to put it like that?"

"If I'm not honest, how will you improve?"

"…"

Shinji decided that now was as good a time as any to ask his questions. "You said this was a school for demons. So how did I get here?"

The silver haired man thought for a moment, though since he was lying down it looked more like he was going to sleep. Eventually he gave a simple answer. "You were enrolled."

The sound of the black haired man's palm colliding with his face could be heard all over the Netherworld. "You know what, I'll answer your questions. But since you've got a lot, we'd best head somewhere else. Aki, show him to the classroom."

Shinjiro flinched at that name, memories of his childhood friend Akihiko flooding into his mind. Thinking about it, this man before him shared some similarities with his old friend. Both had silver hair and were skilled with their fists, accompanied by a psychotic need to grow stronger. However Shinji noticed a few major differences between the two. First, the man standing before him preferred lighter, more relaxed clothing. Second Akihiko was a few inches taller than this demon. And finally…

Akihiko had a brain.

"But Masaru! Why do I have to take him back? Can't you do it and I'll get the food?"

"So you can have it stolen when you challenge random people to fights?"

Aki was about to argue, then remembered that that had happened just five minutes ago, so really anything he said would be a complete lie which would just cause Masaru to hurt him again. He figured it was best to simply say nothing.

Masaru turned to Shinjiro when it was clear that Aki wasn't going to say anything. "Just follow him. I'll answer your questions when I get there. And whatever you do, don't sneak up on a man in a hat."

Still annoyed at not having answers, Shinjiro grudgingly follo

After five minutes of awkward silence, Aki decided to try to talk to his reluctant companion. "Well, we haven't introduced each other yet. I'm Akihiro! Martial arts expert! And you are?"

"…Shinjiro Aragaki."

"Well Shinjiro… LET'S FINISH OUR FI-"

Akihiro never finished his sentence, as Shinjiro punched him in the face before he could. "For a martial arts expert, you really suck."

Aki didn't respond, simply clutching his now badly broken and bleeding nose. He took a moment to point to a nearby door. Shinji took this as a sign and walked inside.

In the classroom, which looked like it hadn't been cleaned since before it was built, there sat two men. The first was a black haired man with an eye obscured by his bangs. He wore what looked like military pants, complete with a jungle camouflage pattern, accompanied by a dark blue hoodie and a pair of thick gloves and bracers. A headband had been hastily tied around his head and would probably fall off soon. He was currently inspecting an axe and a sword, seemingly trying to decide which was better.

The second man was further back, facing away from the door and seemed to be asleep. From what little he could see, the man wore a large cowboy hat and poncho. He could also make out dark hair, though what colour it was eluded him. Since this was probably the man he was told about, Shinjiro decided not to wake him.

Then Aki came into the room.

"HEY GUYS! WE GOT A VISITOR!"

The sudden noise made the sleeping man wake up, quickly turn, pull out a gun and start firing wildly in their direction. Shinjiro quickly dove out of the way of the wild attack, but Aki was too slow and was hit numerous times before collapsing to the ground, dead.

"Ow."

Or not.

"Sorry about that man." The insane gunman said simply.

"Eh, my fault." Aki responded before standing up, looking more annoyed than terminally injured. Shinjiro could only stare in disbelief. This man was shot who knows how many times, and yet he claimed to be just fine. He should be dead!

Then again, Shinji wasn't exactly in a position to preach that.

Almost immediately, Masaru entered the room, glanced at Aki, then proceeded to continue into the classroom as if he had seen nothing. "Lunch."

"Finally!" The man at the desk yelled before leaping and grabbing two boxes from Masaru's hands. He then dropped one when Masaru stabbed through his arm.

"One per person." Masaru stated simply while grabbing the falling box with his free hand. After his lunch was back in his hand, he removed the sword from the other man's arm, who reacted more like he had a slight itch than a katana making a shish kebab out of his arm.

That was the final proof that Shinji needed that these people were indeed demons. And if that was true, did that mean he was… in hell? Instantly he thought back to that moment several years ago where he lost control for just a few seconds and tainted his soul forever. That must have been why he was there.

"Well I said I'd answer your questions. Go ahead and ask." Masaru said in a bored voice. He was currently leaning against the teacher's desk eating some kind of meat with a pair of chopsticks. Shinji stared up at him before getting to his feet.

"Why bother? I already know what I'm here for…"

"Oh? And that would be?"

"To be punished for my sins…"

Laughter was not the reaction he was expecting to this statement. For some reason Akihiro and the two strangers began laughing like they'd just heard the funniest joke in the world. Even Masaru looked like he was fighting back a smile. "That's not why you're here."

"What?"

"Just because we're demons, doesn't make this hell."

"Yeah, and if you were a sinner, you'd be a Prinny!" Aki added, having just finished laughing.

"…A what?"

"A Prinny. They're basically our slaves. Look like penguins." Masaru said before putting another piece of meat in his mouth.

So that was what that statue was. That explained a lot.

Oh wait.

NO IT DIDN'T!

Shinji was just a few seconds from pulling out his hair. Thankfully he realised that he should try figuring things out first and seeing if they made sense later.

"So… why do they look like penguins?"

Masaru stared at Shinjiro for what felt like the longest time. After swallowing his food he finally answered the question.

With a shrug.

"No one really knows." The man with the headband stated.

"I'd still like to know why they blow up when we throw them…" Aki stated thoughtfully.

Shinji didn't even bother questioning that last statement.

"OK, If I'm not here to suffer, why am I here?"

Now this made everyone look thoughtful, clearly trying to find an answer to that question.

"I… don't know… Humans are supposed to be reborn as Prinnys, be reincarnated or go to Heaven. I've never heard of a human being sent to the Netherworld as himself before." Masaru looked confused. It looked like he wasn't used to not knowing things.

"Great. The most important question and no one can answer it…"

All four of the demons looked a little sad at this, very accurate, statement.

"Forget it. I'll go find someone who does know."

However as he turned to leave, Akihiro moved in front of him. "Oh no you don't! I'm gonna beat you yet! So I can't just let you walk away. And if that means helping you find answers, then you just found yourself some backup!"

Shinjiro stared at him for a second. "…I don't need your help."

"You don't know this place or its customs. You won't last a minute without help." Said the man in the hoodie, who had somehow gotten right next to Shinji without him noticing. "Besides this looks like the most interesting thing to have happened in years. I'm not letting it slip away!"

"Heh, you got that right!" Said the man in the hat, who was now standing opposite of the black haired man and also was uncomfortably close to Shinji's side.

Shinjiro thought for a moment. He really didn't know the area or where to start his search. Maybe he could stay with them long enough to find out what he needed to. "Hmph, fine. Do what you want."

At the sound of this, the three men all cheered. When they were done, they all turned to Masaru who looked as stern as ever. "… I admit I'm curious. I'll help you out for now."

At this Aki approached him and gave him a friendly punch on the arm. "That's the spirit!"

Completely ignoring what just happened, Masaru approached Shinjiro. "You can stay here with us for now. No one comes here so you don't have to worry about unwanted attention."

"But… it's a classroom."

"Yeah, but Demons aren't expected to learn. No ones used this classroom in years. Hell, I can't remember the last time I attended a class. Or saw a teacher." Aki mused while sitting in a random chair.

"… If you don't learn then why do you have a school?"

"…Principal of the thing?"

"…"

"Look the point is it's here and you have a place to stay. That's what matters." The hatted man injected. "And you won't be bothered by unwanted attention. No one knows we're here."

"I wonder if they even know if we're still alive." Aki asked, completely seriously.

"Wouldn't be the first time people think I'm dead." Masaru plainly stated.

Deciding that he should probably make his decision now before he was driven insane, Shinjiro very quickly said, "Alright. I'll stay. For now."

The four men nodded and Masaru stood to shake his hand. "Since you'll be staying here… I'm Masaru."

The man in the hat then rushed over, "I'm Juro!"

The man with black hair soon followed, "Names Dai!"

Aki soon approached, "And you already know my name."

Shinji stared at them, wondering if he was making the right decision. Eventually he reached his hand forward and accepted Masaru's in his own. "Shinjiro Aragaki."

Masaru nodded and gave Shinji's hand a firm shake. Whatever happened now, it was too late to look back.

wed Aki, hoping that someone would decide to be helpful soon.

* * *

 


	4. Chapter 3 – Torturous Lookalike

**Chapter 3 – Torturous Lookalike**

* * *

 

With some explanation from his new allies, Shinjiro quickly learned some of the basics of Demons and the Netherworld (They can withstand above average levels of injury, they're expected to obey their instincts, etc.). Unfortunately, by the time they had finished, night had fallen and they were all very tired. This meant that they would have to wait until morning to find their answers which annoyed Shinji, but he acknowledged that he needed sleep.

Getting to sleep was difficult for him however. He had never tried sleeping in a demonic classroom before, and the experience was quite disorienting. Eventually though he drifted to sleep, still sitting at one of the desks.

Part of him wished he had stayed awake.

That night he was plagued with dreams. Not nightmares, for they did not scare him. No, what he dreamed was worse than that.

He dreamed about his life.

Memories of growing up with Akihiko, the nights he spent with him and Mitsuru before he began his downward spiral into despair and worst of all…

He remembered her.

The girl who had given him reason to live again. The girl who made all the guilt in his soul feel so far away. The girl who had barged into his room and, still as cheerful as ever, told him she loved him.

Hamuko Arisato.

But all that was gone now. He was dead. He may never see them again.

For the first time, he felt truly alone.

* * *

The next day, Shinjiro was the first to wake up. He was tired, he was depressed and above all else…

He was hungry. REALLY hungry.

After spending five minutes rummaging through what was left of the Demons meal last night, he realised that he would have to leave the classroom to get some food. This raised its own problem. He would need directions in order to find where the food is, but after seeing what happens when one of these guys gets woken up, he decided it would be best to go alone.

* * *

It was NOT best to go alone.

This was the conclusion Shinji reached after twenty minutes of walking around random corridors. He had forgotten where he had come from and had so many options on where to go that he could in theory be looking forever. He was even starting to think that some of these corridors looped and that he was just going in circles.

Which, given that he was in the Netherworld, wasn't that bad a guess.

After releasing a huge sigh, Shinji heard a sound coming from one of the halls. Quickly he turned to face it. There he saw something which made his eyes widen.

Standing in front of him was…

"Hamuko?"

The figure tilted her head and stepped closer. As she got closer, Shinjiro noticed that, while she had a similar face and the same hair style as her, this girl was not Hamuko. First of all, the girl before him had black hair with streaks of white in contrast to Hamuko's reddish brown hair. Secondly, Hamuko usually wore very understated clothing, clearly not trying to draw any unnecessary attention to herself. This girl seemed to be trying to get as many people's attention as possible with her red and black torsolette, fingerless gloves that reached her elbows, short frilly skirt, black thigh high suspended stockings and white laced boots. And that wasn't taking into account the spiked leather choker, spiked white wrist cuffs and twin belts around her waist. With an outfit that provocative, it would be amazing if you didn't see her. Though neither of these where what truly alerted Shinjiro that she was not the women he loved.

What showed him the real difference was when she stepped far enough out of the shadows to reveal a pair of wings, one resembling a bat, the other, a raven.

He was pretty sure that Hamuko didn't have those.

"Are you lost?" She spoke in a soft voice. Sensing no hostility from the woman, and remembering that, since it's the Netherworld, people with wings and elaborate outfits are fairly normal, Shinji decided that perhaps he could just ask her for help and then hopefully get back to the classroom before the others woke up.

"Yeah. I was… looking for a place to eat, but all these corridors look the same."

"I can show you the way if you want."

"…Thanks." Normally Shinjiro would argue against such an offer, but at this stage he was too hungry to care. The mysterious girl turned and began walking down one of the endless corridors. Shinji followed, glad he had found someone who knew the way.

The two walked in silence for a while before the girl decided to ask Shinjiro a few questions. "So are you new here?"

"Yeah. Got here yesterday."

"You'll get used to it. We all do." She said reassuringly. "By the way, my name's Mei. What's yours?"

"…Shinjiro Aragaki."

"Nice name. Never heard it before. Why'd you enrol?"

"I didn't."

"Then… how did you get here?"

"That's what I wanna know…" Thinking for a moment, Shinjiro figured that now would be a good time to ask Mei if she knew anything about his situation. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is it possible for a human to appear in the Netherworld after death?"

Mei stopped and turned to Shinjiro upon hearing this. "Why?"

"Because I wanna know how I got here…"

At this, Mei's eyes widened. "You're… a human?"

"…Yeah."

"I… I see! That's… fascinating!" Mei's hands were starting to twitch, though Shinji wasn't sure of the exact reason.

"LOOK OUT!"

A split second after hearing this mysterious yell, Shinjiro felt another body slam into his own, knocking him to the ground. Looking up, he noticed that Akihiro had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and tackled him. Looking at Mei, he saw why. In her hand was a scalpel, which she had thrust forward, directly into the empty space where his torso used to be.

Mei turned to look at them, looking more confused than anything. "Why did you interrupt? I finally have a human to experiment on, and you interfered. Why?"

Aki stood up and faced her, "Heh, sorry. But I swore I'd beat this guy in a fight someday and I can't do that if you slice his chest open."

"So that's how it is, huh? Fine. I guess I'll just experiment on you too." With this, Mei drew a large axe, apparently from thin air, and swung in the two's direction. Aki quickly side stepped the attack, while Shinji rolled and used his momentum to get back on his feet.

"So you wanna fight huh? Well bring it on! We can take ya!" Aki bellowed confidently, striking his battle stance. Shinji however, hesitated. Because no matter how much he told himself that it wasn't her, no matter how much his body screamed that he had to fight. He couldn't bring himself to injure someone who bore her face.

Mei continued her assault with a horizontal swing, which both men had to avoid with a quick jump backwards. Ai countered this by making a wide punch for her face. She dodged the attack, barely and followed through with a quick kick to Aki's undefended ribcage. The kick hurt a lot and Aki was convinced that one of his ribs was broken. But now wasn't the time for him to focus on the pain, now was the time to keep fighting.

Soon the two were focused only on each other. Shinjiro stood at the side, watching as the two traded blows. Aki would occasionally land a powerful punch on Mei, while she would land several weaker but faster kicks. The axe had yet to connect to anything but Mei continued to swing it and every time she did, Aki would try to knock it back at her. He knew he should intervene, but his legs wouldn't listen.

Eventually it was clear that both fighters were tired of this and were ready to end this fight. Aki jumped back from his opponent and struck his stance once more. Mei also took a stance, ready to charge. A few seconds later she did just that and swung the axe down as hard as she could.

Aki made no attempt to stop it and it embed itself directly into his right shoulder. Blood poured from the wound and sprayed onto his opponents face. Shinji stared in shock as the pure red liquid flowed down the man's chest. But what really shocked him was what happened next.

Akihiro smiled, and faster than either of them could see, he brought his left palm directly into Mei's face, sending her and her axe flying backwards. Clearly annoyed that someone had injured her, Mei prepared to attack again.

But by now, Shinji had made up his mind and grabbed the axe mid-swing. Having forgotten he was there, Mei turned in surprise, just in time to see Shinji grab her arm, spin her around, and throw her, causing her to lose her grip on her weapon. After getting up from the ground, she stared at the two, an alarming smile gracing her lips. "Heh, you two are better than I thought. I'm going to enjoy experimenting on you. But not today. After all, how could I possibly defeat such strong men?" That last part was said with such obvious sarcasm that it's amazing she didn't just hold up a sign saying 'Sarcasm' on it. "So I'll let you both get some rest and enjoy your victory. Hell, I'll even let you keep the axe. But remember that I'm out there, and I might not be alone next time."

With that Mei leaped backwards and disappeared into the shadows.

"Well, that was fun." Aki said plainly.

"Idiot!"

"Huh?"

"Why'd you let her hit you? That attack was wide enough that you could have dodged it in an instant! But you just stood there! Why?"

"It was all part of the plan. You know that stance I took? It's called the Punishing Stance. It allows me to channel enough energy into my body that I can counter any attack my opponent makes against me. If I'd dodged then I would have broken my stance and she would have had the advantage."

Shinji simply stared at his ally. "That has got to be the dumbest move I've ever heard."

"Hey it worked didn't it?"

"…"

He really didn't have an argument for that.

"Tch. Just… try not to do something so stupid again."

"Oh? Are you starting to care? Besides you're not one to lecture others on doing stupid things, mister 'I'll wander off on my own'. "

Again Shinji couldn't really argue that point.

"Come on, let's get something to eat and have someone look at this." Aki said cheerfully, pointing at his still bleeding shoulder.

Shinji didn't say anything and seemed to have gone into deep thought. When Aki pushed him out of the way of her scalpel, risking his own life to save him, he remembered that he had done something similar. But that wasn't all he remembered.

He remembered that while he was trying to figure all this out, an insane man with a revolver was threatening his teammates. Threatening his best friend Akihiko. Threatening Hamuko! At that moment he made a decision.

"Aki."

"Hmm?"

"I'm going back to my world."

"Whoa whoa whoa! You can't do that. The gates to the human world were sealed off by the Overlord 200 years ago. Only those he trusts know the code to open them. And most of them are dead."

"Well then. I guess I'll just have to defeat the Overlord."

"WHAT?"

"You heard me."

"But…! That's just crazy! No-one fights the Overlord! It's suicide!"

"If you're scared then go back to hiding in your classroom. I won't drag you into my battle."

"… Damn it! I can't afford to let you die before our rematch… Fine! We'll go to the Overlord's palace and when you realise how bad an idea this is, we can turn around and forget about it."

"You think I can just forget my life? The life I left behind? My friends are in danger! I have to help them!"

Aki was shocked by Shinjiro's outburst and took a step back from the enraged man. It was clear that now, there was no stopping him. "… You're real determined you know that? Ah, what the hell. I'd probably try and fight him eventually anyway. Count me in."

"Tch, do what you want." Secretly Shinji was glad that he had backup. If all demons could take as much punishment as the ones he'd seen, he could use the backup.

"The others won't be happy to hear about this. Let's get them some breakfast and hope they don't kill us themselves."

Remembering his growling stomach, Shinjiro agreed and the two men walked down the corridor together, a great adventure lying before them.

 


	5. Chapter 4 – Releasing your potential

**Chapter 4 – Releasing your potential**

* * *

When Shinjiro and Akihiro got back to the classroom where the others were waiting, they told them about their plan to fight the Overlord and get Shinji home. They took it well.

"ARE YOU INSANE?"

"YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR MINDS!"

"THAT'S JUST CRAZY!"

Aki sheepishly scratched the back of his head and avoided meeting the gaze of his friends. Shinji meanwhile just glared at them, refusing to back down.

"I'm doing this and none of you are stopping me." At this Dai spoke up.

"I don't plan to! You wanna kill yourself, go ahead!"

"I'm all for thrills but this is too much, man!" Juro added.

"It's just plain stupid." Masaru finished.

"Yeahhhhh… I gotta agree with them. This IS a pretty crazy and stupid thing we're doing." Aki added awkwardly. Shinjro shot him an exasperated glare.

"I thought you were helping."

"I am! It's just… they're right. We're getting in over our heads."

"Damn right you are! You haven't even been in the Netherworld a day and you're already challenging the most powerful being there is! If you do this you will die!" Dai stated forcefully.

"I've died once and I'm still fighting. Dying again won't stop me!" Shinjiro yelled defiantly. ilence followed, as the others tried to think of some sort of argument against that. They couldn't. Keep hiding in your classroom if you want. I'm goin'."

Shinjiro turned for the door and, with a glance at his friends, Aki soon followed.

"Wait." he two men turned to Masaru who looked exasperated. "If you're going to do this, then you're gonna need to be stronger. I'll… make a list of strong opponents. If we can beat all of them, then we might just stand a chance against the Overlord."

Dai and Juro were surprised to hear this. "Wait, 'we'? You can't honestly be joining them? You're meant to be the reasonable, logical one of our group!"

"I'm also the one who's not going to let my best friend die a fool's death."

"So you'll help us?" Aki asked hesitantly.

"Looks like I don't have much choice. You'd get yourself killed if I didn't."

Aki smiled and wrapped his arm around Masaru's shoulders. "I knew I could count on ya man!"

Masaru turned towards him at this, glare obvious despite his hair. "What did I say about touching me?"

Aki pulled his arm back and moved his other to behind his head. "Not to…"

"Goddamn it!" Dai yelled, kicking a nearby desk into a wall. "You're not giving us a lot of choice here ya know! … Fine! I'll help too!"

"… If he's goin' then I guess I am too." Juro shrugged as he said this.

"Thanks guys." Aki said, moved that they would help him like this.

"OK, Aki, Dai, Juro. Show him to the shops, make sure you get all the stuff we'll need and then come back here. I'll start on that list."

The others nodded and left, leaving Masaru to his work.

* * *

The group had been buying items en masse. They had weapons, armour and all the healing items they could. Shinji was worried on how they were going to carry all of this stuff back and THEN carry it into battle with them. Thankfully, Aki told him about something called "Void bags", pouches that demons carry which can store a surprisingly large amount of items. Since Aki had a spare, Shinji was now cramming as much stuff as he could into the bag.

It was at this point that Dai decided to brief him about Mana. As he explained it, Mana is a kind of energy that flows through all living beings. In the Netherworld when someone defeats someone else, some of the losers Mana is released and absorbed into the winner. Those with Mana can also channel it to certain Demons in exchange for services. Juro decided to introduce him to one such Demon, a Ninja from the look of him.

"This is Takehisa, the skill master. He can draw out the power within in exchange for Mana. If you ever need to get stronger, just let him know."

Takehisa bowed to the young man. "I look forward to helping you, zam."

"…Zam?"

"Ah, Ninjas do that for some reason. Just ignore it."

The Ninja then rose and stared at Shinji. "Oh, I can see vast potential in you, zam. And Mana. You must have already beaten someone. Very well. Let me release some of your potential, zam." With

There were clouds scattered across an evening sky above him and below an endless ocean. Standing in the middle of the void, yet somehow not sinking, was Takehisa. With a wave of his hand, four columns rose from the water, surrounding Shinjiro. A weapon was stuck in each pillar with the exception of the one straight in front of him, which was wrapped in chains. The one on the left had a sword buried hilt deep into the rock, while the one to his right had an axe jammed into its side, the blade completely obscured. The one behind him had a gauntlet thrust into it, with no sign that it could be removed.

"These pillars represent your potential. And each one is a different path that you may walk. The pillar to your left is the path of the sword, fast and versatile, skills requiring agility above all else, zam. To your right, the path of the axe, strong but slow, skills which shatter your enemies defence so you can finish them quickly, zam. Behind you, the path of the fist, to need no weapons and be in deep connection with your body, skills that require absolute focus and can change the field to your advantage, zam."

"And the pillar in front of me?"

"Ah, this is the pillar of truth, zam. Everyone has a different one. I cannot awaken the powers within this pillar; merely strengthen what you have already unlocked, zam. And it would appear that one of powers within has already awakened, zam. Look."

Shinji noticed that there was a glowing circle on the pillar that when he gazed at, he remembered his battles in Tartarus and whenever he would unleash the full force of his axe upon his opponent.

"So how do I unlock the other pillars?"

"As you can see, each pillar has a weapon embedded into it. This weapon represents a block preventing you from reaching your full potential, zam. If you channel your Mana through your very being, you may remove them and in doing so, remove the block, zam."

Aside from the fact that this guy constantly saying "Zam" was getting annoying, Shinjiro followed what he was saying. "Alright, let's do this."

"One final thing. Right now you only have enough Mana to remove one block, and the stronger the block, the more Mana you will need, zam. And once Mana is lost, it cannot be regained. Choose carefully."

Taking these words to heart, Shinjiro thought very carefully about which block he was going to remove. When fighting Demons, it might be a good idea to be as fast and acrobatic as possible, so the sword looked tempting. On the other hand, If he lost his weapon then he would be in serious trouble, so the fist had promise as well. But deep down he knew what choice he was going to make.

Gripping the handle and pulling with all his might, Shinjiro pulled the axe out of its pillar and watched as it grew taller. A circle, similar to the one on the pillar of truth appeared and Shinjiro felt strength and knowledge pour into his mind and body. When it subsided he could picture himself swinging his axe into his enemy jaw with enough force to send them flying and then striking them in the back as they came back down.

"A wise decision, zam. The axe suits you. The technique 'Big Swing Slicer' Is yours. When you gain more Mana, you may come back to me to strengthen it, or remove the next block, zam." As he said this, a staircase appeared alongside the pillar, stopping at the very top. Looking up, Shinji could see another axe lodged in the top, preventing it from ascending any further. "For now though, you lack the Mana to unlock any more potential. So I will return you to your body. I look forward to seeing where your path will take you, zam."

* * *

With that, Shinjiro found himself back in Evil Academy, Juro was still standing next to him and looked glad to see him back. "Took your time in there! Come on, let's go!"

Shinjiro gave a quick thanks to Takehisa before following Juro back to the classroom. Takehisa smiled to himself as they left.

"I never thought I'd see a Persona user here. I had best report in to the boss about this." After saying this, he jumped into the shadows and disappeared.

* * *

 


	6. Chapter 5 – The First Target

**Chapter 5 – The First Target**

* * *

After their productive trip to the shops and Shinjiro's introduction to Mana and what it could do, the group returned to the classroom. Paper now flooded the area, and Masaru was at the front desk, skimming over even more sheets before throwing them in a random direction.

"Where did all this come from?" Dai asked, moving paper off his chair as he did.

"I had someone steal them from a teacher." Masaru responded, not looking up from his papers, as he threw a second stack directly into Shinji's face. Ignoring it, Shinji decided to simply sit down and wait for him to finish.

After 10 minutes and Masaru throwing more paper then anyone bothered to check, he stood up holding a neat list. "Got it! A list of opponents organised from weakest to strongest! If we use this, we might just stand a chance!"

Snatching it from his hand, Shinjiro studied it. Most of the names meant nothing to him or outright confused him. Some were clearly groups instead of one person and a number was listed next to them to show how many Masaru expected they would have to beat. His eyes widened slightly as he saw Mei was on the list, fairly low but still considered enough of a threat to be considered. And there he saw the name of their first target…

"Agnus Torii?"

"From what I've read, he's strong. Stronger than any one of us. If we can defeat him, then we might just stand a chance against stronger opponents. He's where we should start."

"If you say so…" With this Shinji pocketed the list. "Where can we find him?"

"According to my research, he usually hangs around the training grounds. If we head there, we might find him. Just let us know when you're ready."

"I'm ready now."

"OK Then! Let's get this show on the road!" Juro yelled. The others simply nodded and filed out of the classroom.

* * *

Approaching the Prinny standing in the middle of the circle, Shinji was confused. "Wait a minute. I thought I saw an old man here before. Where is he?"

Surprisingly, it was the Prinny that answered, "Oh, that's Geoffery. He sometimes takes over, but only when Lord Mao's concerned, dood."

"Lord Mao?"

"The Overlord's son, dood. He's the number one honour student here, dood."

Masaru decided to cut off this conversation before it started, "Look we'll tell you about him later. Right now we need to get to the training grounds."

"OK, dood. I'll patch you through now." While the Prinny worked, Aki turned to Shinjiro.

"Hey, you ever travelled by Dimension Gate before?"

"No wh-" At that moment the gate activated and they found themselves in a void.

"-y? ... What the hell?"

"This is the inside of a Dimension Gate, we use them to get around."

"There's the exit point! Let's go!" Dai yelled, before seemingly flying towards a blue portal. Juro and Masaru soon followed.

"Just imagine yourself moving towards it." Aki said to Shinjiro before following his friends. After the others had left, Shinji tried Aki's advice and soon found himself moving forward, and fast too. When he finally reached the portal, he put his hand through it and felt something grab him and start pulling. He soon found his entire body sink into the blue light.

* * *

 

He soon found himself emerging into what looked like an exercise room, with Aki's hand around his wrist. Looking behind him, he saw the same blue portal in the ground, and he got the feeling that if he stepped into it, he'd wind up back in the same void.

"Easy huh?" Aki said cheerfully, relinquishing his grip on Shinji's arm.

Actually, it was. Then again he had experience using the teleporter pad in Tartarus, so it's not like there was much for him to pick up.

"You guys, ready? Cause when you are, he's over there." Masaru stated, pointing to a man who was in the middle of impaling several mannequins on a spear. The man had red hair which covered his ears and extended to in between his eyes and down to his chin. On his head was a beanie, similar to Shinji's own, with the exception of the skull on the front. His jeans were a faded, dark blue which worked well with his black v neck shirt and white short sleeved jacket. A pair of fingerless leather gloves covered his hands, which were still wrapped around the menacing looking spear. Turning he noticed that the five men were staring at him.

"What?" He said plainly, his green, snake-like eyes, staring at them.

"You Agnus?" Shinji asked bluntly.

"Yeah. What's it to ya?"

"We're here to defeat you!" Aki yelled.

"That so?" He said, clearly not interested as he twirled his spear, throwing the mannequins in all directions, "It's not fair that you all try to gang up on me. Wait… I know how to fix that."

Snapping his fingers, several demons jumped into the room. Half of them were shitless men with either axes or broadswords and the other half was consisted of women with belts for shirts carrying long swords or spears.

"There, now I like my odds. Let's see you get through my friends here."

"Tch, if that's what it takes." Shinji then drew his axe while the others pulled out their weapons.

"Charge!" Agnus yelled, his allies following his order and rushing at the five man group. In response, they too charged to meet their enemies.

Aki was the first into the fray, planting his fist into an axe wielding man's face, only to be struck in the side by a spear from one of his targets allies. Her victory didn't last long as she soon was soon hit in the head with a bullet, courtesy of Juro. A swordsman attempted to strike the young gunner in the back, only to find that the hatted man had very fast reflexes, and swiftly turned and shot his opponent in the chin.

Dai meanwhile had engaged in a duel with another swordsman, and the two seemed evenly matched. At least until Dai made to swing his sword, before striking his enemy with the axe he had quickly drawn with his other hand. Unlike the others, Masaru wasn't content with focusing his efforts on one target, and was dashing around the field, slashing at any enemy in his reach before speeding off to the next one.

While all this was going on, Shinjiro decided to test his new move on a nearby axe wielder. Remembering the technique, he channelled all his strength into an uppercut and struck his opponent directly in the chin. The unlucky enemy was sent flying into the air then struck in the back with the same axe as he came back down. The combined force of the axe and gravity was too much for him and he passed out.

"Oh? You're strong." A voice said next to Shinji. Turning he saw that Agnus was now standing next to him, his spear raised, ready for battle. "I'll think I'll take care of you myself!"

"… Fine with me."

With this Agnus smiled and thrust his spear forward, an attack Shinji barely dodged. Using the momentum of that dodge, Shinji swung his axe at his opponent's head, hoping to end this quickly. Sadly, Agnus was fast and ducked under the attack and rolled backwards before regaining his stance.

While all this was going on Aki had grabbed the spear stuck in his side and, instead or removing it, spun around, slamming the handle into his original targets ribcage with enough force to break off the tip. The now very angry warrior decided that now was the time to make his counterattack, trying to perform a downward slash against his injured enemy. Reacting very swiftly, Aki placed his hands on either side of the blade and, with all his strength, forced it to stop.

In his battle Dai used his opponent's stunned nature to impale him with his sword, stricking just below the ribcage. However before he could remove it, another sword nearly cut off his arm, and only by letting go of his own did he avoid it, "Looks like it'll be the axe from now on…"

Juro had taken advantage of the distraction everyone else had provided to climb to higher ground. There, he would repeatedly shoot anyone who got close to him, before finishing them with a special, explosive bullet, "Hah! That all? I could do this all day!"

Masaru meanwhile had finally stopped his hit-and-run tactic and was now locking swords with a large fighter. The men seemed fairly evenly matched so Masaru would have to be smarter than his opponent to win. Or cheaper.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" His opponent yelled, his voice suddenly much higher pitched which definitely had nothing to do with Masaru's foot in his groin. While the large man was reeling in pain, Masaru stuck his sword through the man's back before kicking him into a nearby spearman. With this done, he rushed to Aki's side and used his blade to hold the enemy axe in place, leaving Aki free to pummel the fighters ribcage till he collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Shinji and Agnus were still staring at each other, waiting for the other to make the next move. Eventually though Shinjro grew tired of waiting and tried to rush the red haired Demon. Agnus took this opportunity to try to impale Shinjiro again, this time aiming just below the running man's neck. Again Shinjiro dodged the attack but this time his shoulder scraped the blade and Shinji was delayed by the sharp feeling of pain. Using that slight hesitation to his advantage, Agnus spun around and thrust the blunt end of his spear into Shinjiro's gut, knocking the wind out of him.

"Looks like you got in over your head." He taunted, his challenger sinking to one knee as he tried to recover.

"Well, hate to tell ya this but…" As he said this he threw his spear into the air. Once he had done this, his hands started to glow blood red and he raised them high into the air, "Too late for regrets!"

With this mighty yell, he slammed his fists into the ground. At first nothing happened but then in a split second Shinji felt a burst of pain around his entire body as a pillar of fire rose from his beneath his feet, engulfing him. He screamed out in pain as the fire assaulted his skin, burning all it touched. Though it lasted only a second, the pain was enough that it felt like years. When the fires finally subsided, Shinjiro collapsed forwards, beaten by the incredible pain.

All the combatants had stopped to watch this display. Shinji's allies were feeling nervous, knowing that the same could be done to them. Regardless of this Aki kept fighting, managing to take out two enemies before they realised that he had started his attack. Masaru and Dai soon joined in, while Juro continued to snipe nearby enemies from the high ground.

"Heh, I knew you couldn't handle the heat." Agnus said to Shinjiro's broken body before turning to face the remaining enemies, making sure to catch his spear as it came back down.

"Where…

Agnus' eyes widened. It was impossible. There was no way…!

"Are… You going?"

To Agnus' shock, Shinjiro was standing, burned and exhausted, but still clutching his axe and still glaring at the Demon.

"I'm not… done yet!"

Before Agnus could get over his surprise that Shinji was still alive, let alone walking, Shinjiro charged, barely slowed down by his injuries. When he finally realised that his miraculously alive opponent was trying to attack him, Agnus raised his spear, planning to put this annoying man out of his misery once and for all. This plan would have worked if it wasn't for one very important thing…

Shinji. Was. Pissed.

And when Shinji is pissed, nothing can stop him. He proved this fact when we swung his left arm straight at Agnus's spear and broke the head clean off without slowing down for a second. Before Agnus could prepare to use his super attack again, the large battle axe was brought down on his face. He quickly rose, only to find something dark moving towards his face. With a loud crack, Shinjiro's forehead collided with his nose, breaking it and causing blood to pour out. Without giving his opponent the chance to recover, he raised his axe and slammed it into his staggered enemies gut, sending him flying at least ten feet back, over the head of every other combatant, who had stopped to stare in amazement at this incredible attack.

Agnus slammed into the ground with such force that it cracked. For a moment it looked like he was going to get up, but his strength failed him and he passed out.

All eyes were on Shinjiro. He was badly burned and bleeding from his shoulder. He was panting heavily and looked like he would collapse at any second. But no one noticed that.

All they noticed were his eyes.

Eyes filled with anger. Eyes that said 'I could kill every last one of you without breaking a sweat'. Eyes that showed no fear or hesitation, just anger and the confidence that he would win.

All of Agnus' allies ran. They didn't bother to pick up their dropped weapons or carry their wounded out of there. They all just wanted to get out of that room while they still could.

When all of them were gone, Aki ran to Shinji's side, just in time to catch him as his feet finally gave way underneath him. "We gotta get this guy healed."

"… Yeah." Masaru stated, still in shock that Shinji had won in spite of all his injuries.

Dai approached and draped Shinji's left arm over his shoulder while Aki did the same for his right. Together they pulled him towards the portal back to the main campus.

It had been difficult, but the group had won its first battle together. The Demons felt more confident having fought such powerful enemies, and that they had such a strong ally on their side. Shinji meanwhile entered the realm of sleep, his injuries too great for him to remain conscious.

* * *

"Yes sir. I'm sure of it, zam."

"Hmmmm, a Persona user you say… It looks like our plans just moved forward."

"Indeed, what should I do sir?"

"Keep an eye on him Takehisa. He might be just what we've been waiting for."

"Of course sir." With a final bow, Takehisa left his mysterious ally to continue his duties.

"I suppose I'd best get ready too. So much to do and so little time! But it'll all be worth it, as all things are." Turning the shadowy man left as well, intent in seeing this plan through, personally.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agnus Torii is property of Hades Revolution. Here is his character sheet:
> 
> Agnus Torii  
> Title: Raging Half-Breed  
> Voice: Micah Solusod  
> Weapon types: Sword, Spear, Gun, Axe  
> Skills:  
> unique only, as well as offensive and healing magic up to Omega  
> Too Late For Regrets! (Agnus' hands burn blood red as he proceed's to smash them into the ground, the targets burn like wildfire as a pillar of flame explodes from the ground.) Description: This is the last time you'll be allowed to breath! Range: 4 (two tile cross formation)  
> Party Time! (Agnus' weapon glows green as he raises it into the air, and a flare of flames strikes down on the targets.) Description: You wish you could do this... Range: 2 (x-shaped formation, deals fire damage with a chance of paralyze)  
> Last Night On Earth! (Agnus' body glows white as a phantom figure resembling a dragon -Kohryu- appears behind him, and four pillars of light begin surround the targets until they explode.) Description: He doesn't look happy. Range: 6 (nine-tile square formation)  
> Appearance: somewhat resembles Minato, except his hair is red and covers his ears, also likes to wear a black beanie with a skull on the front. Has on a black v-neck shirt with a white short sleeved jacket and dark faded blue jeans. He also has on fingerless black biker gloves, and his eyes a green with slits.  
> Background: a demon who appears to be on good terms with Mao, provided he doesn't accidentally kill the glasses wearing demon out of anger. He also look's up to Raspberyl, due to the fact that she is the best Delinquent in school.  
> Evility: Half-Blooded: Increase Human and Demon stats by 25%


	7. Chapter 6 – The Way of the Fist

**Chapter 6 – The Way of the Fist**

* * *

When the group got back from their battle with Agnus, they rushed to the academy's nurse. Laying Shinjiro down on one of the beds, she began healing him, after being paid for services of course. With this done, the four Demons formed a circle so they could talk in private.

"OK, that was a good start. Only one of us was badly injured and we won the fight. But it's only going to get harder from here. I think we might need some more help if we wanna keep winning." Masaru said, looking to each of the others to see if they objected. Dai was the first to speak.

"I see your point, there were a lot more of them then there were of us. Sure they were weak but we might not be so lucky next time."

Juro nodded his head before speaking, "It doesn't look like this guy's gonna wake up anytime soon, and I'd rather have him with us for the next fight. We could look around while we wait for him to come to."

"Sounds like a good idea. You two work on that since your good with people. Aki, you wait here till we come back. Keep an eye on him. I'll go see if I can find out anything about our next target and if anyone knows how our new friend got here in the first place." All nodded at Masaru's suggestion and set off for their individual tasks.

Aki pulled up a chair and sat down on it, making sure that Shinjiro was in sight. While he waited, he decided to replay his part of the fight in his mind, analysing ways he could improve. After doing this several times, he concluded that the only way for him to improve was to visit Takehisa and get one of the blocks in his mind removed. With this done, he sat patiently; waiting for Shinjiro's healing to be finished.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dai and Juro had begun to wander the area, looking for potential candidates for their team.

"Maybe we should make flyers?" Juro suggested cheerfully.

"Or a poster?" Dai responded with enthusiasm.

"Or maybe one of those big campaign vans?"

"Yeah, that could work!"

"…"

"…"

"So… do you know how to make any of those things?"

"No. Do you?"

"…No."

"… Let's get back to looking."

"Yeah…"

The two were about to keep going when Dai bumped into someone mid turn.

"Hey! Watch it!" He said on instinct. Turning to glare at whoever he had bumped into. The women he had bumped into was clearly a Nekomata, her ears, tail and fury arms and legs were a dead giveaway. However unlike most Nekomata, this one actually wore clothes, instead of relying on her fur for modesty. Specifically she was wearing a white, buttoned up shirt with short sleeves, accompanied by a skirt, adorned with black roses. It was simple but effective and worked well with her red hair. She glared back at Dai.

"You watch it! I was just minding my own business when you go and turn right into me!"

"What? Listen you-" Juro stepped between them at this point.

"Whoa, whoa people! It's no-one's fault. It was just an accident." He then turned towards the Nekomata, "Please forgive my friend, he gets upset easily."

"What are you doing Juro?"

Turning back to Dai, Juro leaned towards him and started whispering, "We're meant to be finding allies. We can't do that if you insult the candidates."

Scowling, Dai turned and started to walk away. "What's his problem?"

"He's just got a bit of an attitude on him. He'll calm down eventually. Say, can I ask you something?"

"Make it quick."

"How good are you in a fight?"

Tilting her head in confusion, the Nekomata looked thoughtful before thrusting her palm forward, stopping about an inch from Juro's face. All this happened faster than even he could follow, and his reflexes were excellent. "That answer your question?"

"Heh, pretty good. But are you strong?"

"HA! Watch this!", Without hesitating, the girl slammed her fist into the ground. Not only did this create a small crater, but her entire fist sank into the earth. She swiftly removed it and, looking as if she hadn't broken a sweat, said, "Good enough?"

"That was perfect! I think your just what we need."

"Oh? What do you need me for?"

"My friends and I are gonna take on the toughest people in the Netherworld, till we're strong enough to fight the Overlord himself! But… we're REALLY outnumbered and we could use all the help we can get. If you're interested, swing by the nurse's later. I gotta look for more candidates."

"Hmmm, could be worth my time. Who should I ask for when I get there?"

"Well, I'm Juro but you should probably ask for Akihiro or Shinjiro. They'll probably still be there."

"OK. My name's Samantha by the way. I'll see you there."

"That's a deal. See ya!" With a quick wave, Juro ran off, glad he'd gotten at least one person interested.

* * *

Back at the infirmary, the nurse had just finished patching up Shinjiro before stating that she had to leave on an errand. He was starting to regain consciousness causing Aki to stand and walk to his side, making sure that his charge stayed in the bed.

"You need your strength back, just lay down for now. The others will be here soon."

"Ughhh…"

Shinji knew it probably wasn't best to argue and followed Aki's advice. When he was sure that the beanie wearing human wasn't going to disobey. Aki sat down again and started talking.

"You were incredible back there. I mean you took such a huge burst of fire and kept fighting. Most people wouldn't have even survived an attack that powerful, let alone beat the man who used it. I wish I had strength like that."

"Why?" Shinji groaned, still tired from the fight.

"Well… I guess it's to prove something."

"Get to the point."

"Heh. That's what I like about you. You say what you mean… OK, my father was a fire magician. He knew how to make flames out of thin air and make them do what he wanted. He always wanted me to follow in his footsteps. But I never could. Every time I tried to make fire, nothing happened. As soon as he realised I didn't have the gift, he threw me out. I didn't know what to do with my life. That's when I met him…"

" _I see potential in you. Perhaps the way of the fist is your calling."_

"He taught me everything I know, and I was a fast learner. For once in my life I was good at something and he was proud of me. Then he said that if I wanted to continue my training I had to come here. He said that something would happen here that would make me stronger. At first I thought that just meant challenging people. But now I'm starting to think that it's you. If I hang around you, I have a mission, a plan on how to get stronger. So I'll stick with you as long as I need to."

"Good. If our future enemies are tougher than that last one, I'm gonna need all the help I can get."

"Well, don't worry. You can count on me. And the others have gone to get more help. We can do this man."

Shinjiro let out a small chuckle, followed by a large yawn.

"Heh, You sound tired. Get some more rest. I'll wait here with you till the others get back."

Liking the sound of that statement, Shinji closed his eyes and went to sleep again. Aki smiled at the now sleeping man, feeling stronger already.

"Master, I hope I can make you proud."

* * *

"Takehisa wasn't wrong, sir. I checked him myself as I was healing him. This Shinjiro Aragaki has a Persona, and a powerful one at that." The nurse, Matildo, reported to the same man as Takehisa.

"Matildo, you have once again proven your loyalty. You must make sure that he is healthy. If not, all our plans could be ruined."

"Of course, sir. Have I ever let you down?"

"No, and now's not the time for you to start. Remember, this is the most important mission I've ever given you. Do you have anything else to report?"

"Yes. It would appear he is seeking out powerful opponents in the hopes of gaining the strength to fight the Overlord."

"Hmmm, Interesting. Then we may be able to kill two birds with one stone. Go back to your duties, I will look into our other project."

"At once sir. Best of luck with your work."

"The same to you."

With this the two figures left for their missions. Matildo smiled slightly on her way, content that her wait was almost over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Samantha is property of Demons Anarchy. Here is her character sheet:
> 
> Samantha  
> Title: Flirtatious Feline  
> Voice: Monica Rial  
> Weapons: monster type  
> Magichange type: Fist  
> Skills:  
> Can use debuff's and fire magic up to omega  
> Hell Prom (Samantha summons zombies that hoard against the targets until they are covered up, then Samantha kicks a ball of energy that destroys all the zombies, and the targets.) description: Will you be my date... to hell? range: 10 (single target)  
> Hellcat (Samantha jumps into the air and charges at her opponent, several other Nekomata come forth and begin to devestate the enemy, when Samantha crashes down, the ground explodes) description: And here we thought girls were not good in a fight. Range: 7 (star damage, one target)  
> Feline Flourish (Samantha becomes a large cat like beast, similar to a werewolf except on all fours, and will fire a large purple ball that breaks the ground apart) description: Not a very good house pet. Range: 10 (star damage, five targets in a x-shape)  
> Cat Barrage (Magichange form, where the wielder's right hand glows purple and shoots a ball of energy at the target, and the ground begins to break apart with pillars of light shooting out of the ground) description: Only the best of the best can do this. Range: 1 (adjacent target)  
> Appearance: similar to a Nekomata, except has on a skirt with black roses, and a white short sleeved buttoned shirt that holds in her chest size. Her hair is also colored red.  
> Description: A Nekomata who will just about do anything for any hot guy she sees. For the love of all that is unholy, don't call her by Sam, otherwise, your face will be unrecognizable.  
> Evility: Arrow Catch: 70% chance to negate normal arrow attacks


	8. Chapter 7 – The Flames of the Past

**Chapter 7 – The Flames of the Past**

* * *

Dai was the first to return, still annoyed from his run in with Samantha. He sat down near Aki and started sharpening his axe. Juro returned soon after, looking much happier than his friend. "Good news man. I might've found someone."

"Really? Who?" Aki asked, curiously.

"A Nekomata called Samantha."

Dai grunted at this, "We don't need her help."

"You haven't seen what she can do man."

"I don't care. Not everyone's as easy to impress as you are."

"Hey! I have very high standards!"

Aki thought that now was a good time to interrupt, "Guys, guys! Let's wait for Shinjiro to wake up and Masaru to get back. Then we'll talk about whether she's in or not."

The other men were silent for a few seconds before nodding. The three then decided it was best to remain in a peaceful, if slightly tense silence.

It took about fifteen minutes for Masaru to return, his face perfectly blank. "No one's heard of a human winding up in the Netherworld after death. This has NEVER happened before."

"But… Why him? Why here? And why now?" Aki asked, voicing what they were all thinking.

"I don't know… But I get the feeling that if we stick with him, we'll find the answers. We just need to keep moving forward."

The others nodded and Masaru took this as his chance to sit down. Dai and Juro then told him about their own progress.

"One candidate? Just one?"

"Yeah. Most people didn't take the whole 'defeat the Overlord' thing seriously." Juro answered, slightly depressed about the number of people who laughed at him today.

"*Sigh*, well it's better than nothing. Where is this candidate anyway?"

"I told her to come here. Hopefully she won't be too long."

"She'd better not."

With that the room fell into silence yet again. Aki was starting to get tired of all this, and hoped that this candidate would be here soon.

* * *

Shinji was once again visited by dreams, this time of his time at the orphanage with Akihiko and Miki. He remembered the times that they would play, the times they would fight, the times they got in trouble.

But of course whenever he remembered those times he remembered that night…

He could still feel the heat of the flames and the fear that channelled through him as he ran for his life. Only after he'd gotten out of there did his mind calm, only for his blood to chill as he realised that his friends might still be in there.

Akihiko came out soon and quickly approached Shinji and asked the one question he couldn't answer, " _Where's Miki?_ "

When Shinji didn't answer, Akihiko's face filled with fear. He quickly started yelling her name and frantically looking for her.

He didn't find her.

Driven by a desire to save her, he rushed back towards the building. He didn't care what happened to him, as long as he saved her. The adults all rushed to stop him and no matter how strong he was, he was still a child. He couldn't get past them. The fires rose. For a second, Shinji swore he saw Miki against one of the windows.

Then the gas line ruptured.

The compressed gas only had to be exposed to a single spark to cause the entire building to explode. A combination of heat, light, sound and shear force knocked Shinjiro on to his back and left him disoriented. He felt like he'd pass out any second but he forced himself to his feet.

He wished he hadn't looked.

The building was barely there anymore. A few support beams still stood and part of the top floor was still there, though half of it was where the ground floor used to be. The walls were practically gone and the area around was covered in shard of glass. And the next sight he saw made him run over and pull Akihiko away, before he had the chance to see.

Because there, hanging out of one of the windows, was a burned, lifeless hand. It might not have been her, but Shinji knew that even if it wasn't there was no way she had survived the blast.

Miki was dead.

Akihiko's desperate yells were still in his mind, burned into his memories with the heat of the flames, _"I could have saved her! Why wouldn't they let me save her?"_

Shinji stood strong for his friend's sake, offering him a shoulder to cry on and an ear to scream his anger filled heart into. But deep down he felt incredible pain. His good friend was dead and his best friend was suffering and there was nothing he could do about it.

Shinjiro hated fire from that day on. He would never forgive it.

His dream then changed, he was still standing before the burning wreck but everyone had vanished. And there, standing in the middle of the destroyed building, was a man. He was tall and had black hair extending half way down his back. He wore read robes and in his hands was a staff adorned with a dragon's head.

Shinji approached him, noticing that he got older as he did, until finally he was at the right age and was clutching his axe. At this point he couldn't stop himself from walking, or from raising his arm to attack.

The man slowly turned, revealing a smug, sinister smile on his face. Shinji saw straight into the man's eyes, but he did not see himself reflected in them. He saw Akihiro, filled with fear, before being engulfed in flames. Shinjiro swung his axe, his arm moving by itself.

The man vanished. Raising his head, Shinjiro saw yet another horrifying sight. He saw his new allies hung up like scarecrows, their bodies burning. Beyond them, he saw SEES in the same way, too far away to tell if they were alive or dead. There was one figure missing and one who did not burn. Akihiro was directly in front of him but the flames dared not touch him. Hamuko, was nowhere to be seen.

Slowly, Akihiro raised his head and began to speak, in a voice that was not his own, sounding more like a thousand mixed together, " _Two pasts have come to join each other, leading to the same future. When the fires of Armageddon rise, the warrior of the Earth will fall, unless the blazing lightning becomes his shield._ "

Shinji had no idea what this meant, but he got the feeling that he would remember it for a long time. With the message delivered, the bodies vanished and the fires along with them, leaving only darkness.

And her.

Shinjiro wanted to rush forward and embrace the girl before him. But he looked closely and saw that something was wrong. She was pale and clearly exhausted. She looked like she would collapse at any moment. Then she slowly raised her arm and pointed at the moon.

The moment it entered his vision, his mind was flooded with images. He saw a figure covered in black wings, an eye looking down on all of humanity, a golden orb surrounded by ghostly hands and finally a mass of darkness with giant red eyes. Each lasted for less than second but made him feel like his head was going to split open.

As he clutched his head in pain, Hamuko spoke in that same voice which had come from Akihiro, " _When despair fills the world, the souls of the noble will stand together and create a miracle. The queen will rise and fall in an instance, but inspire hope forever_."

As soon as she said these words, her body began to dissolve into light. Seeing this, he ran as fast as he could to reach her, the pain in his mind numb compared to the pain in his soul. He arrived just in time to touch her fingertips with his own, before she vanished completely.

It was all too much. The memories, the visions, the sight of his love fading before him, he couldn't hold it in any more. He screamed to the Heavens, loud enough that even all the anguished cries in Hell would be drowned out.

* * *

He awoke in cold sweat, his breaths short and shallow. He could see that he was still in bed and that the others were nearby, clearly discussing their next step. Feeling more awake than ever, Shinjiro stood and walked over to them. They turned to him and gave their greetings. After assuring them that he was ok, they told him about their potential new ally.

"When will she be here?"

"Soon hopefully." Juro explained.

"Right…"

Much to his surprise, Aki approached him and, in a worried tone asked if they could talk in private. Shinji obliged him and the two walked outside, stopping by the Prinny statue.

"What's wrong?"

"I was gonna ask you that. The second you woke up you looked… nervous. Like you were in pain."

"I'm fine."

"No you're not! I can tell when something's bothering someone and you are clearly in pain! I'm here to help you know. Talk to me, man!"

"… It's personal. Don't get involved."

"… Fine. But when you admit you need someone to talk to, I'll be there."

Shinji didn't answer, instead walking off to where the others were. Deep down he knew he'd have to talk about it eventually, but for now he was still trying to make sense of it. Until then he would bare the weight of that nightmare alone.

 


	9. Chapter 8 – New Allies

**Chapter 8 – New Allies**

* * *

With their conversation over, Shinjiro and Aki sat down next to the others and continued waiting in silence. Dai and Juro had apparently gotten lunch while they were away and were currently eating it, though just what this stuff was meant to be escaped Shinji. Masaru, for whatever reason, was sitting cross-legged on his stool, and seemed to be in deep concentration.

After what felt like hours, they were approached by someone. "Hello? I was told to ask for Shinjiro or Akihiro?"

At the sound of the voice, Juro leaped up and approached the speaker. "Hey! Glad you came!"

"Well it's not often that a girl's offered the chance to fight the Overlord."

"I like your attitude! Anyway, this is the rest of the team. Go ahead and introduce yourself to 'em!"

Stepping forward, the Nekomata pointed to herself and cheerfully said, "Name's Samantha! Pleased to meet ya!"

Aki was the first to respond, looking slightly redder than usual and standing to shake her hand, "H-hey, I'm Akihiro, but everyone calls me Aki." Samantha gave his hand a firm shake before turning to the longcoat wearing Ronin.

Unlike Aki, Masaru barely glanced at her when he spoke, "Masaru."

Dai did even less than Masaru, not looking at her at all, "Dai."

With no one else left, Shinji turned to face her, "Shinjiro Ara-"

Before he could finish, Samantha suddenly moved to directly in front of him, their faces an uncomfortable distance apart.

"You're kinda cute, you know."

Shinji had no idea what to say to this, so he decided to not say anything at all.

"Well if you're on this team then I've gotta help!"

Dai, who seemed particularly annoyed that day, stood up and glared at her, "Look Sam. We don't need your-"

For a second Dai said nothing, then he let out a howl of pain as he clutched his now severely cut face. Samantha was standing in front of him with her claws raised and a look of fury on her face, "Don't EVER call me Sam!"

Juro and Aki decided that now was a good time to take a step back. If Masaru had been paying attention than he didn't care as he just remained in his seat with his head down. Shinjiro seemed concerned that he might have to work with this girl but remained where he was.

Perhaps the scariest part of what just happened was how quickly she calmed down and resumed her invasion of Shinji's personal space, "So, why do ya wanna defeat the Overlord?"

"You just clawed me, bitch!" Dai yelled, his fury matching that of the Nekomata's from a few seconds ago. She seemed unconcerned by this, more annoyed that he interrupted her.

"That's what you get for calling me Sam."

"How the Hell is that fair?"

"It's not. It's a warning. I held back this time but if you call me that again, you won't have a face by the time I'm done with you." While her tone was calm, her voice had a noticeable hiss while she spoke, making it clear that she wasn't joking.

Dai was about to challenge her about this when his arm was grabbed by Masaru. "It's just some scratches. They didn't even draw blood. Get over it."

Even though he still wanted to attack the new recruit, Dai stopped himself, not wanting to test the Ronin's patience. He had done that once before and he knew that it would be best if he didn't again. Reluctantly he left, deciding to ask Matildo to fix the scratches for him. Aki figured that now was the time to step in and give his opinion.

"Personally I think we should let her in. I mean that was one of the fastest attacks I've ever seen."

Juro nodded in agreement and Masaru simply shrugged before turning to Shinji, "Your quest, your call."

Shinji thought about it very seriously. On the one hand, she was fast and strong, on the other, she seemed to annoy Dai simply by existing, was violating his personal space and seemed to have anger issues. This wasn't an easy decision but eventually he reached his conclusion.

"Alright, you're in."

Samantha's face took on a look of pure delight as he said this and she enthusiastically thrust her fist to the sky. "Yes! I knew you'd take me! I won't let you down!"

Aki and Juro went to congratulate her for being accepted into the team. Dai had returned but opted not to say anything, or even approach the others. As usual Masaru just sat there, showing only the faintest signs that he was alive. Eventually they all decided to head back to the classroom and plan their next move.

* * *

The group was talking happily on the way back to their base, or more specifically Aki, Juro and Samantha were talking while Shinji, Masaru and Dai walked behind them in total silence. When they finally made it, Samantha stuck her nose into the air and began to sniff around the door.

"You didn't tell me you had another friend."

Confusion rose around the group, only to be swiftly replaced with alarm as Aki and Masaru approached from either side of the door. Masaru drew his sword and Juro stood in front of the door with his gun ready. Masaru and Aki each raised 3 fingers and began to count down in unison. When the hit zero, both men kicked the door and dove in, quickly approaching the intruder. Much to their surprise, it was someone they knew.

"Torii."

Agnus smirked as they recognized him before looking past them at Shinjiro. "There you are. I was beginning to think you weren't coming back."

"What do you want?" Shinjiro was cautious against the hated man. While he had won the fight, he was badly hurt and may not have recovered completely. To his surprise, Agnus lost his smirk and began kicking up dust from the ground, looking strangely nervous.

"Well it's like this… You see… Um…"

"Spit it out or get lost."

"… I've never lost. Not until I met you. You beat me even after I'd injured you with my signature attack."

"Are you going somewhere with this?"

"… I need to know what makes you so strong. And… I think that that'll happen if I… joinedyourteam!"

Agnus spoke the last words so fast that the group had to think for several seconds just to make out what he said. When they did realise, they all recoiled in shock.

"What?"

"I… want to join you…"

Agnus said the words like they were foreign and confusing, as if even he didn't know what he was saying.

Shinjiro was once again forced to think very carefully about this, Agnus had been their enemy barely a day ago and this might just be a trick. On the other hand, if he was honest then he was a valid ally. Only one question entered his mind, "Where are your friends?"

Agnus let out a sad chuckle, "Friends? They were my followers. They stuck with me because I was strong. The second I lost, they left."

Shinjiro knew enough about pain and sadness that he could tell Agnus was genuinely hurt by this. He'd never admit it but he felt alone. He needed someone there for him.

He was probably going to regret this, "Alright, you can stay for now. But if you give me any reason to think you're gonna double cross us, then you won't have to worry about getting stronger. You'll be too busy breathing through a tube."

Despite the threat, Agnus looked overjoyed that they accepted him. "Thank you. I'll make you glad you said yes."

Shinjro walked past him, not making eye contact. "You'd better."

With a slightly tense atmosphere, everyone sat down in a circle. Aki was the one who asked the hugely important question, "So, what now?"

At this question, Masaru leaned forward, "Well, while I was looking for information about our friend here's situation, I heard an interesting rumour."

Dai and Juro leaned closer at the mention of rumours, "Go on."

"Apparently, the Overlord's son, is trying to find the Home Ec. Classroom."

Aki almost fell off his chair at this, "Seriously? I heard no one's been able to find that place and live to tell about it!"

"Well, that butler of his found out where it was and opened a gate."

Realization dawned on the others faces, "Which means…"

"We can use there gate to find it." Masaru now had the widest smile Shinjiro had ever seen him wear, which given his nature wasn't saying much.

"OK. You've lost me again. Why do we want to find this guy?"

Agnus answered this question, "Only the most powerful demons become teachers and the Home Ec. teacher is rumoured to be super powerful. But no one's seen him, or knows where his classroom is, not even the other teachers."

Masaru continued from there on, "He's one of the people on the list, and while I doubt we could beat him yet, it pays to find out where he operates and maybe find out a little about him."

"So it's a scouting mission?"

"Exactly. Now everyone better get ready, we'll head to the gate when we're all prepared."

With that, the circle broke and the group went to prepare their stuff.

Except Agnus.

"Umm, do any of you have a weapon I can borrow? You kinda broke mine in our fight."


	10. Chapter 9 – Kitchen of Chaos

**Chapter 9 – Kitchen of Chaos**

* * *

After giving Agnus Dai's sword, the group finished their preparations and made for the Dimension Gate. On the way though, Aki remembered something, "Hey, guys. I gotta visit Takehisa, see if he can burn off any of this new Mana."

Thinking about it, Shinjiro, Masaru, Dai and Juro all realised that they had some spare Mana to use, so a visit to the Ninja would be a good idea. So they decided that they would all visit him and then head for the gate. Since it was Aki's idea, he went first.

It is important to remember that the realm representing someone's potential rarely looks the same. For Aki, the ground was volcanic rock, the sky was full of storm clouds and the pillars were made of fire. It was chaotic and unstable, a contrast to the calm, solid form of Shinjiro's.

As always, Takehisa stood in the middle of this realm. Usually he didn't speak to those who entered, but today he seemed to have something to say.

"I see that you have finally found a path to follow, Zam. I wonder if following it will bring you strength."

"It will. I can feel it."

"Hmph, strength of body is not what I meant, Zam."

"Then what do you mean?"

"If you do not know, I will not tell you, Zam. This is something you must discover for yourself, Zam."

Aki sighed, acknowledging that the Ninja was as cryptic as ever and that it was pointless to try to force the answer out of him. Instead he simply went over to one of the pillars of fire and placed his hand on a nearby stone. It glowed brighter after a moment and the flame briefly changed to a bright shade of blue before returning to its original shade of orange. Feeling that he would be able to put more strength into the chosen attack, he decided it was time to leave and let the others spend their own Mana.

* * *

Like Aki, the others spent their Mana on strengthening the attacks they already had, since they lacked the energy to unlock something new. With that done, they approached the Dimension Gate and teleported to just outside the Home Ec. Classroom. Masaru turned to the others and began whispering, "OK, this is just a scout mission but things could get violent. So don't drop your guard and keep your weapons on hand."

The others all nodded and Shinji slowly opened the door and slipped into the room as quietly as he could. The others all followed, all doing quite well at staying hidden. Looking around, they noticed that the kitchen was quite chaotic, with uneven floors, spikes coming out of the ground and a huge pot right in the middle of the room. They also noticed that there was a delicious smell in the air, like someone had mixed the best smelling food together to create the ultimate aroma of food.

All of these points were irrelevant however, compared to one detail they noticed, or rather didn't notice. Agnus was the first to voice it, "Where is he?"

A voice answered that question for them, "Behind you, Boom!"

The group all jumped at the sound of the cheerful voice and turned to face whoever was using it. Standing there was a man with blonde spiky hair and a bandanna around his forehead with a crossbones symbol on it. He wore black and red overalls with flame designs at the end of the sleeves and pant legs. The front of the outfit however was white, and bore a striking resemblance to an apron. Wrapped around his left arm was what appeared to be an identical version of his bandanna. He was currently smiling at them, and he seemed to show no signs of hostility. In spite of this, the group remained on guard.

Well, except one.

"Master?"

The group turned to Aki in surprise. He was staring at the mysterious man with a surprised smile. At this the man's own smile grew.

"Akihiro! It is good to see you again. It has been quite some time since I sent you here."

Now everyone was really surprised. Shinji asked the obvious question, "So this is the guy who sent you to the Academy?"

"Yeah! He taught me everything I know about fighting. I didn't know you were a teacher here, Master."

"I am many things my disciple. Like how milk can be used in many kinds of food, Boom!"

"I've done what you asked, and I think I've finally found what you told me to find."

"Is that so? Tell me then, what is it you found?"

"A purpose. To help my new friend get back to his own world."

"Hmm. A decent answer. Perhaps you are on the right path. In that case…"

The blonde man then jumped onto a bridge, suspended over the huge pot, "Let's see how strong you've become. You came here to fight me anyway didn't you?"

Masaru looked nervous at this, "This guy's powerful. If we fight him now, we'll likely lose."

"You're not fighting him. I am. Alone." Aki said with complete resolve.

"Are you insane? Even with all of us together he'd be at the advantage! You can't fight him alone."

"This is something I have to do, Masaru!"

"Not today! Come back later when you stand a chance!"

"… Let him go."

All eyes were on Shinji after he said this, "This is something he's gotta do. He has to prove to both his Master and himself that he's strong enough."

"Shinji…"

"So go get 'em Aki."

Aki smiled at this and jumped to the same bridge as his mentor.

"Nyahahahahaha. You have a wise friend. But they came here for a fight too and I can't deny them that. Students! Line up, Boom!"

Responding to the yell, a group of men and women in martial art robes filed into the room. None of them had any weapons and struck similar combat stances to Aki, "Entertain our guests while I test the taste of this dish!"

With the group of enemies turning to face Shinji's team, everyone got ready for the inevitable fight.

"Are you ready, Akihiro?"

"Of course, Master Champloo!"

"Then… BEGIN!"

Everyone took this as their cue to attack. Aki opened his assault with a swift punch aimed at Champloo's face. While the attack would have hot most opponents, Champloo was fast and ducked under it before countering with an uppercut to Aki's jaw with enough force to knock him several feet away, landing on his back. In spite of the force of the attack he quickly jumped to his feet and resumed his stance.

"Oh? I see you've been practising."

"You haven't seen anything yet."

"Nyahahahahah. Prove it with your fists!"

While master and apprentice struggled against each other, Shinji had just knocked out one of Champloo's other students and had turned to face another opponent, just in time to catch their incoming fist and counter with a head-butt to the face. The martial artist didn't look too fazed by this and quickly regained his stance. An axe to the ribs however, quickly fixed that, and left Shinji free to move on to the next enemy.

Dai was proving slightly less efficient than usual, as he was used to fighting with an axe in one hand and a sword in the other. However he was still doing well, using his strength to send an enemy into the air before crushing him with the sheer weight of his axe.

Juro had once again employed the tactic of getting far away from the enemy and sniping them from a distance. They were proving more resilient to his bullets than his previous enemies but by channelling a bit of energy into his bullets and firing several of them at the same enemy, they eventually went down.

Samantha was really doing well in this fight. She was dodging attacks and countering with her own, sometimes against more than one enemy. Right now she was engaged in combat with one of the female fighters, who was proving herself to be very skilled at dodging as well. The two seemed evenly matched and it was more of a matter of waiting for one of them to make a mistake and give the opponent an opening to attack. Fortunately it was the martial artist who made the first mistake and swiftly found the Nekomata's paw planted in her ribcage with enough force to knock her into another enemy and knock both of them into the giant pot. She seemed pleased with this result before attacking another enemy.

Masaru and Agnus were standing back to back, surrounded by enemies, though neither seemed concerned. In fact Masaru felt it was more important to talk to their new ally, "You know how to use that sword?"

Agnus smirked as he responded, "Better than you."

"Really? You're not getting it mixed up with a spear are you?"

"How bout I show you how good I am?"

"Whoever scores the most wins."

Agnus nodded and without a word, both men charged at their enemies. Masaru struck out at the nearest enemies he could as quickly as possible. They all collapsed, bringing his tally to 3 quickly. Agnus had only hit one enemy with his actual attack but had flung the unconscious Demon into two of his friends, knocking them out as well, making their score even. The two continued like this, focussed on proving themselves better than the other.

Back with Aki, the fight had been at a stalemate for quite some time. Aki had landed a few hits on Champloo and had taken a few hits in turn. The problem was that Champloo's attacks hit with more force and even if they didn't, he could take more punishment than the young Demon. At this rate, Aki would lose and it would be soon.

"*Sigh* This has been a disappointing meal Aki! I was hoping you'd have a better flavour than this! Ah, well. I suppose the fire in your soul just wasn't strong enough…"

Champloo then leaped on to his back before propelling himself forward and sending a flurry of kicks at Aki. With his assault he leaped back to where he had been and turned back to his opponent, a smile on his face.

"To have blocked so many kicks… Your arms must be tired."

Aki didn't answer. Instead he charged forward and threw a punch at his mentor. Champloo stepped back to avoid it but found something seemed to come forth from Aki's fit and collided with his face, forcing him to the ground. He looked up in shock, his face staring directly at Aki's fist.

"I win."

Silence followed for several seconds. The other combatants had noticed the result of the fight and stopped to stare. The silence was finally broken by the unmistakable sound of Champloo laughing.

"Nyahahahahahaha. Excellent! You have come far Aki! Clearly you've been cooking at high heat, Boom!"

Champloo's apprentices took this as a sign to stop fighting and sat down. Aki helped Champloo to his feet, so he could dismiss his students.

"Aki, you did well in this battle, and you have clearly gotten stronger than when we last met. But meat must be well cooked before you apply additional ingredients."

"I… don't understand."

"I mean that you are strong, but the path of true strength is long and only the strongest may learn its secrets. You are not yet at the level to learn these secrets but you have made a good first step. Soon you will be ready and when you are, I will teach them to you."

"You will?"

"What kind of teacher would I be if I didn't?"

"Thank you, Master. I'll make you proud."

"I know you will, Boom!"

The group turned to leave with the exception of Shinjiro who still had his eyes locked on Champloo.

"Yes?"

"I have a few things I wanna know and you're going to tell me."

"Oh? Ask away then my young friend!"

"First, Aki defeated you, but you said he wasn't strong enough to learn what you know. Why?"

"There are many kinds of strength in the world. Yes his body is strong, but there is another strength he needs if he wishes to learn the secrets I can teach. And that is a strength he must find himself, though I get the feeling that you will help him on his way."

"…"

"You had another question?"

"Yeah, what's that smell?"

"You like it? It's my speciality!"

"I've cooked a lot of things in my life but none of them have ever smelled that good."

"Oh, a fellow cook? Well then, as one chef to another, here's one of my special recipes! Eat well my friend, Boom!"

Champloo then handed the recipe to Shinji, who accepted it and gave a quick thanks before leaving and catching up with the others, who were caught in an argument over who beat more enemies, each insisting it was them.

* * *

Champloo stared at the group as they left, a smile on his face. A figure soon approached him from behind. The man had white hair which shrouded his eyes and was wearing red jeans and a ragged white mantle which enveloped most of his body. A katana could just be seen under his cloak.

"You went easy on him."

"My goal was never to win, just see how strong he was."

"You act as if you knew he'd come."

"Of course I did! Who do you think spread the rumour about Mao coming to find me? And who do you think kept the portal open so he could?"

"You are a devious one. Does he meet your standards?"

"He's getting there. And the Persona user is just what I had hoped for, even if he didn't actually use the thing."

"He didn't?"

"I sense something is holding him back. We need to find a way to fix that."

"I will get to work on that later."

"You're here for a reason? Be quick, I've got roast to cook."

"The PTA is focusing on that delinquent girl."

"Hmmm, we need her for our plans and she isn't strong enough to fight them herself. Hopefully Almaz will convince Mao to help but…"

"But?"

"He might not, and I need to make sure that all of the ingredients are ready for the main course. So I'll go myself and intervene if necessary."

"Very well, should I alert the others of the progress?"

"Yes, and tell them to get some new weapons and armour in stock. We're gonna need everyone prepared for the battles ahead."

"Very well sir. Good luck on your mission."

"The same to you my friend."

Without another word both me left, each with a mission in mind and each determined to make it work.

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 10 – The Sweetest Taste

**Chapter 10 – The Sweetest Taste**

* * *

 

The group walked back to the classroom in high spirits. Aki was pleased to have met his mentor again and even more so that he was able to face him combat. Masaru and Agnus were still arguing over who beat the most enemies, though neither was taking it seriously. Samantha and Juro were having their own conversation about the benefits and disadvantages of close range and long range combat.

Shinjiro was further back than the others, looking over the recipe. He couldn't see anything wrong with the instructions and they all made sense. Some of the ingredients weren't familiar to him, but he was sure he could find them.

Looking at the recipe, he remembered one of the nights he had been with SEES before his death.

" _Hey Shinjiro-senpai!" Hamuko greeted, cheerfully. He had just entered the room and already he could smell something. Something strong and sweet._

" _Me and Fuuka were just making some sweets, you wanna join us?" Usually Shinjiro would have denied such an offer, after all he didn't want to get too close to anyone. But every time he was with her everything seemed OK in his life. Even the fact he would soon die seemed irrelevant._

_Plus last time he let Fuuka cook was a memory he'd rather forget and he'd prefer to supervise her._

" _Alright. Guess I can help for a little."_

_Hamuko's smile only got bigger at this and she quickly handed him an apron from nearby. The two walked into the kitchen together and the smell only got stronger. It seemed to flood the entire area and assault anyone in the area. He looked over at the various pots, pans and other tools that the two were using. Right now everything looked OK, there were no signs that something had slipped into the mix where it wasn't welcome, no evidence that the measurements were wrong and the kitchen was still clean and not on fire._

_All in all an improvement from Fuuka's last attempt._

" _What do you need me to do?"_

" _We need someone to mix the chocolate while I prepare the baking tray and Fuuka gets the dough ready."_

_With a quick nod, Shinji washed his hands, put on the apron he'd been given and got to work mixing. He hadn't made many sweets in his life as he preferred to make meals and savoury food, however he understood the basics and began to stir. Now that he was holding the pot, he understood where the smell was coming from. The chocolate was what was making it and now that he was next to it, it was the most noticeable thing in the room._

_Eventually, everything was ready and the three mixed the chocolate and the dough and poured it into small lumps on the baking tray. With that done, they put the tray in the oven and waited for them to finish cooking. Soon, another figure approached them._

"…" _Despite saying nothing, everyone knew what the blue haired boy was thinking. Without saying a word, his body language asked what they were doing._

" _We're making cookies Minato! You wanna try one when their done?"_

_Minato thought for a moment. Hamuko was great with sweets so there was a good chance they were delicious. However Fuuka had made things that would send a lesser man to hospital. And then there was Shinjiro, who's cooking he had never tried before, making him an unknown in the equation. Finally, he gave a small nod and sat on a nearby stool._

_After a few minutes, the timer Hamuko had set began to ring, signalling that the cookies were done. Shinjiro carefully removed them from the oven and set them somewhere where they could cool properly. Hamuko looked cheerful about the outcome, even though she hadn't tasted them yet. Fuuka meanwhile looked nervous, as if she could already tell they tasted bad. Minato looked as indifferent as ever, but was currently eyeing the cookies the same way he would an enemy Shadow, analysing the best way to destroy it._

_Five minutes later, the group deemed them cool enough to eat and, before any of them could react, Minato had one in his hand and was taking a bite out of it. All eyes were on him as he chewed the chocolate filled biscuit. His face looked as neutral as ever, doing nothing to show his emotions or his opinions. After swallowing what was in his mouth, he paused, before turning to Fuuka, who he noticed was particularly nervous, and said, "It's delicious."_

_Fuuka let out the breath she was holding and Hamuko let out a silent cheer. Soon both of them had taken cookies of their own and began happily chewing on them, quickly agreeing with Minato about the taste. Seeing that he was done, Shinji decided that now was the time to leave. He was halfway up the stairs when he felt a hand tug on his sleeve._

" _Don't think you're getting away without trying one Senpai." Hamuko's unmistakable voice rang in his ears and he found himself turning to face her. There she was with one of the cookies in her hand, extending it towards him._

" _I'm not big on sweets."_

" _Come on! It's not like its poison. Just try it!"_

_The longer he stood there, the more he realised that he would be eating that cookie even if she had to make him. With a small sigh, he took the sweet into his hands and took a bite._

_It was perhaps the best thing he'd ever tasted. Everything about it was right. The texture, the ratio of biscuit to chocolate and especially the taste. All of it was perfect. Of course he wouldn't put it like that._

" _It's good. You and Fuuka did well."_

_Turning swiftly and continuing his ascent, he barely caught her smile and only just heard what she said next, "You as well, Senpai."_

_He'd have to cook with them again. Maybe that was what made this taste so good._

Snapping back to reality, Shinjiro noticed that his flashback had given him quite the appetite. He brought this up to the others and they all agreed that they were pretty hungry and decided to get some food from the main hall.

When they arrived though, they noticed something, everyone seemed more enthusiastic than usual. Some were doing exercises in the middle of the room, some were practising with their weapons and a lot of them were lining up for the Dimension Gate.

"What's going on?" Shinjiro asked his Demonic allies. Aki, Masaru, Dai and Juro all looked as confused as him. Then again they did spend all their time in an obscure classroom making almost no contact with the outside world. Samantha looked like she knew what was going on, but before she could say anything, Agnus interrupted.

"I know this! It's the moment everyone in the school is waiting for! The battle to determine the Class Leader!"

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The decision to have Fuuka as Minato's love interest was the result of a vote.


	12. Chapter 11 – Class Leader Brawl

**Chapter 11 – Class Leader Brawl**

* * *

 

The group of six watched as people ran back and forth, grabbing items, stealing items and paying visits to Takehisa, who still looked as calm as ever. Also, despite the fact that the battle for class leader hadn't gone on very long, there were already a lot of people, mostly Prinnys, lining up for healing.

Agnus was excited, this was the time in the school year where anyone who was anyone was fighting and he planned to be right there with them.

"Come on come on! Let's go fight some guys! With all of us, I bet we can win!"

Shinjiro let out a sigh before addressing the suddenly hyper demon, "We don't have time for this. We need to plan our next move."

Surprisingly, Masaru cut into the conversation, "Actually, I think we should listen to him. Think about it. Everyone is here aiming for that title. It'll be easy to find our targets and knock even more heads on the way."

Aki seemed happy with this, "Yeah, plus Master said I needed to get stronger, and how better than fighting all these guys!"

"Sounds like fun, count me in!" Juro hastily added, with Dai nodding in approval. Samantha also looked enthusiastic. Shinji realised that the others had all made up their minds, so he might as well join them and share the training.

"Fine. But I want to make sure that we're ready. Get healed, check your weapons and armour and make sure you pay a visit to Takehisa."

All of them nodded and divided into groups. Masaru and Agnus went to look at weapons, Dai and Juro checked what armour they could afford while Aki and Samantha decided to unlock some of their potential with Takehisa. That left Shinjiro to decide what to do while they got ready. Since he was still hungry, he thought it was best to get something to eat and then meet up with them when he was done.

* * *

The food was decent at best, nothing special. To be honest, Shinjiro didn't even know what he'd just eaten. All he knew was that it looked the least disgusting out of his choices. It hadn't tasted awful and he didn't feel ill yet so he didn't have any complaints, after all he couldn't afford to be picky right now. His appetite sated, he went back to the main hall to see if the others were ready.

They weren't.

Masaru and Agnus had moved on from the weapon shop but were now looking at armour. Dai and Juro were now buying random items to keep themselves in good shape during combat. Aki and Samantha seemed to be finished and were just waiting by the statue. Since it was clear that the others could take a while, he figured he may as well visit the mysterious Ninja himself.

He was in luck, most people had cleared out and Takehisa wasn't busy at the time. "Ah, back again, Zam?"

"Yeah. I need to unlock more strength."

"Then you have come to the right place, Zam. Let us begin."

With that Takehisa once again placed his hands on the side of Shinjiro's head and they found themselves in the void.

"Hmmm, something is troubling you, Zam."

"What?"

"Your mind, it is… less stable than it was before, Zam."

Looking around, Shinji noticed something that wasn't there before. A fire. It was far away but it was still there.

"What does it mean?"

"Things like this usually represent something that is affecting the mind. Sometimes it is fear, sometimes it is confusion, sometimes it is joy and sometimes it is sorrow, Zam. I do not know what this fire represents, that is something only you can answer... Or a professional psychiatrist but good luck finding one of those, Zam."

Shinjiro wishes he knew where the fire came from, but it was a mystery to him as well. He'd had a lot of thoughts lately and many of them could have potentially given birth to the fire. There was that nightmare he had after the fight with Agnus, which would explain the form it took. But if so, why wasn't it here last time he visited? Perhaps it had something to do with his conversation with Champloo, but was that enough to change his mind so much?

Despite desperately wanting to know what the fire was, he knew he needed to finish his work here then join the others. Climbing the step up the pillar representing his skill with an axe, he approached the embedded axe and pulled at it with all his strength. It soon came lose and vanished, just like the last one had. And just like before, with the block removed, the pillar grew and the stairs extended to match it.

Neither man paid particular attention to it however as something else happened at the same time, something neither expected. The fire grew. Now it was closer and almost reached up to the platform Shinjiro was standing on. It was still far away but this development made Shinjiro nervous and he decided it was best to leave. Takehisa, clearly as confused and worried as him, agreed with him completely and the two soon found themselves back in the main hall of the academy.

Not wanting to think about what just happened, Shinji quickly walked off and joined the others again. Takehisa continued to stand at his post and wasn't surprised when he heard a voice come from behind him.

"What happened?"

Not turning to greet the man behind him, Takehisa explained to him about the fire. The man was just as confused as him, "Hmmm, I'd tell the boss, but he's busy right now with his other plan."

"The one involving Mao?"

"Yes. He has felt the need to intervene. It won't be long before our plans move forward."

"Excellent. The sooner our plans come to fruition, the sooner our enemies are defeated, Zam."

"Indeed. Maintain your post. I have to make some more preparations. Until next time Takehisa."

"May the wind guide you, Ruroni."

* * *

The rest of the group had been waiting for Shinjiro by the statue, some with new gear on them. Juro was now wearing what looked like a battered Kevlar vest. Masaur now had a pair of black leather shoulder pads and a new pair of shoes. Dai was also now wielding a new, slightly bigger axe and had replaced the sword he gave Agnus with a new one. Aki and Samantha looked the same but then again they specialised in hand to hand combat and speed so weapons and armour were just extra weight to them. Agnus also looked pretty much the same and looked annoyed that he didn't have any new weapons.

When Shinji reached them, they all gave a brief greeting before Dai stuck out a hand containing his old axe. "Here, It's sharper than the one you got and has a good weight to it."

Taking the axe, Shinji noted that it had enough weight to suit his needs but wasn't so heavy that it would take five minutes to swing the thing. It was an improvement over the last one, which he quickly stuffed into his bag, and he thanked Dai for it.

"OK, so who can explain to me what the deal is with this 'Class Leader' thing?"

"The Class Leader is a title that every student in the Netherworld wants. Whoever leads which year is the most powerful Demon they can offer and are the most likely to become Demon lords or even Overlords! Naturally since we're Demons, we handle the election with a big brawl, everyone who wants the title fights until only one is left standing. It's pure chaos and I've been waiting for it all year!"

Agnus' enthusiastic answer was all Shinji needed to hear. Now it made sense that the people on the list were going to be in one place, all of them want the position of Class Leader and will fight each other to get it. Now all they had to do was beat as many people as they can, maybe one of them would even win the title too.

"I think I get it. You all ready?"

Everyone nodded and they made their way for the Dimension Gate.

* * *

The battle for Class Leader was held in a specific part of the school and it is one of the most dangerous places in the entire Netherworld. This part of the school was constantly filled with lava and anyone who took the battle lightly could find themselves falling into the red hot liquid. Many candidates had met such a fate in the past, not that anyone cared.

When Shinjiro and his group arrived, they noticed that a lot of people had already been defeated, proving that the event had already started and that most of the weaker enemies had already been defeated. Up ahead, they could see a group of people who had clearly just finished fighting. The most noticeable of them was a boy with white hair and what looked like a red coat slung over his shoulders.

Shinjiro was about to approach the man when he felt himself be pulled back. The others quickly pulled him behind a nearby pillar and signalled for him to remain quiet. Soon Juro began to whisper to him, "That's Mao. The Overlord's son. He's one of the most powerful Demons in the Netherworld, and he hasn't even reached his full potential yet."

Aki followed where Juro left off, "He's right. Mao's already powerful and may have beaten all of these guys by himself."

"You don't think we can take 'em?"

"… He's strong and intelligent. If we fight him, it won't be easy." Masaru said in a warning tone. "Still it's your decision. What do we do?"

"… Let's try it."

The group gave a hesitant nod before emerging from behind the pillar and approaching the white haired Demon. As they got closer, they got a better look at his allies. To his left was a boy dressed almost entirely in white with a red scarf around his neck and a sword strapped to his waist. His hair was a dark shade of blue and his face seemed to show a belief that the rest of the world was crazy and he was being punished for daring to have sanity.

On the other side of Mao was a man with the same colour hair as the other man, though his was tied into a ponytail. He wore a black trench coat which reached his knees and looked like it had been through a lot of battles over a yellow button up shirt and a pair of equally worn black jeans. Perhaps his most noticeable feature was the pair of glasses he wore, as while the right lens was perfectly normal, the left one was black and bore a white cross on it.

Apart from these two, there was no one noticeable among them, only a group of Demons who looked suspiciously similar to ones they had previously met. They were able to figure out that amongst them were two melee fighters, one focusing on axe combat and the other being an expert in hand to hand, along with a healer and a fire witch. All in all, there were less enemies than in either of the last two fights the group had been in, but that wasn't enough to make them drop their guard. They all knew from experience that sometimes one strong enemy could do what several weak ones could never dream of.

The man in white noticed them first and turned to Mao when he did, "Uh, Mao? I think those guys wanna fight."

Upon hearing this, Mao turned and Shinjiro got his first good look at him. Mao wasn't particularly tall or muscular and underneath his red coat/cape, he wore a long sleeved black shirt and a pair of white shorts. The aforementioned coat was kept on his shoulders by a large chain. On his face was a pair of glasses which right now perfectly reflected the light of the room, obscuring his eyes from vision. His lips had twisted into an alarming smile as he observed his approaching enemies.

"So, more fools dare to challenge me? I bet they'd work great for my experiments!"

The man in white let out a sigh and reluctantly drew his sword as the trench coat wearing man pulled a revolver out of his pocket and aimed it at the group. The rest of Mao's allies also readied their weapons but Mao himself just stood there, staring at them.

Eventually Shinjiro's group stopped just a few feet away from them, their own weapons drawn. Each of them took a fighting stance and stared down their enemies. After a few seconds of silence Mao simply said, "Charge!"

At the sound of that, the axe wielder and the martial artist rushed to meet the group. In response, Dai and Aki ran to meet them. Aki and the martial artists fists collided and both tried to attack with their free hand, naturally meeting the same result. With both their fists trying to overpower the enemies, both men attempted to head butt the other, resulting once again in a stalemate which would be determined by who had greater strength.

Dai had also blocked his enemies axe with his own and had attempted to make a swing at him with his sword. Surprisingly his opponent performed a back flip and dodged the blade entirely before charging forward and performing a diagonal slash with his large axe. Dai back stepped to avoid it but found the blade grazing him on the shoulder before he was out of range. His sword arm wouldn't be as effective now so he would have to be careful.

Noticing that his first wave of minions had been blocked, Mao signalled for the next two to attack. With the signal given, the team healer fired an arrow at them, which was narrowly caught by Samantha who decided to deal with the pesky archer. Naturally her prey ran and proved to be surprisingly fast, managing to run and fire arrows backwards. The witch on the other hand decided that now was the time to use her magic and sent a burst of it at the team. Agnus took the brunt of the blast but was used to fire so it didn't hurt him much. However it had made him choose her as his target and he set off to stop her, dodging various fireballs and sudden pillars of fire that emerged from the ground.

Now that most of his allies were occupied, Mao decided to send the two unknowns at Shinjiro. The man in the trench coat proceeded to fire a bullet at each of them. Aiming quickly, Juro fired his own bullets and, either by skill or luck, managed to hit the incoming bullets and deflect them. Both men observed each other before running in a random direction, firing at each other the whole time.

That left the unhappy looking man in white to continue walking towards them, his sword drawn and in a battle ready stance. Calmly, Masaru raised his own sword and walked to meet him, but not before signalling at Mao, giving the silent message for Shinji to focus on him. When Masaru and the man in white were about 5 feet away from each other they both stopped and a second later both their swords were in the air, meeting in the middle. They remained like this for a moment before both pulled their blades back and readopted their stances, ready to strike at any moment.

That left only Shinjiro and Mao. Seeing that there was one enemy left and no servants to deal with it for him, Mao finally drew his sword and, in the blink of an eye, jumped and swung at Shinjiro, who was only just blocked it with his axe. Despite his appearance, Mao was strong and was applying a lot of pressure with his attack. Knowing that if he continued blocking Mao would just force his own weapon down on him, Shinjiro jumped back slightly, the sudden movement causing Mao's blade to swing straight into the ground. Before Shinji could recover though, Mao forced the blade out and charged at him again, once again forcing Shinji to block.

This wasn't good. Mao was vicious and had the strength to back up his attacks. Shinji couldn't afford to just attack blindly or the faster Mao would just annihilate him. He had to think of a plan. But with the enemy still attacking in, planning was proving challenging.

Aki wasn't faring much better. He and his enemy had finally stopped trying to overpower the other and were now trying to settle their battle with skill. Each of them was throwing punches and kicks but very few of these attacks landed. Eventually Aki tried to perform a leg sweep on the other martial artist, but found his efforts rewarded by his enemy jumping over it and slamming his own foot into Aki's skull, forcing his face into the ground at the same time.

If Aki was doing badly, Dai was doing worse. The injury to his shoulder had made it so he could barely use his sword and he quickly found that his enemy was faster than him and was delivering more rapid attacks on him. In response, he was forced to drop his sword and focus only on his axe. Despite losing the weight of the sword, making him faster, he could not keep up with his enemy and quickly found himself kneeling, using his axe as a shield against the warrior's furious assault.

Agnus, while in better condition, hadn't made much progress in his attempts to reach the enemy witch. Her numerous attacks were keeping him at a distance and forcing him to rapidly dodge, which was quickly proving to be exhausting not helped by one instance where in order to avoid a fireball followed by a pillar of flames, he was forced to run up one of the stone pillars littering the area and kick off it, landing slightly painfully afterwards. If he didn't reach her soon, he was going to slip up and then it would be over.

Feeling very annoyed, Samantha was still following the surprisingly fast healer, who continued to fire arrows back at her. While none of the arrows had hit yet, if one did, it would severely hinder her attempts to chase her prey. The healer then tried a very strange tactic. She turned to face the pursuing Nekomata and readied her bow, however there was no arrow. Instead she had embedded the bow in the ground and proceeded to jump, the string somehow providing enough strength to send her and in turn the entire bow flying past her pursuer. But not before releasing some energy she had charged up prior to this strategy in the form of an explosion. Directly over Samantha's head. It hurt, a lot and it took a moment for her to regain her senses and she did just in time to feel an arrow pierce her leg. This was bad, she had failed to catch the healer before and now one of her legs was injured. How could she catch her now?

Bullets were still flying around the arena as Juro and the trench coat wearing man still fired shots at each other, neither hitting but neither giving up either. Both of them were now at the highest point of the area, staring at each other, trying to figure out the best moment to fire. The blue haired man smirked slightly as his gun began to glow slightly. Juro noticed this and grabbed several nearby stones. At the same instant, the enemy fried and Juro threw his rocks with the same speed as bullets. One of the rocks hit the bullet which exploded, knocking Juro back with its force, him just holding on to the edge of the platform he was previously standing on. At the same time, the rocks he threw collided with his enemies face and forced him off his own perch and he too only just grabbed on. While this would seem to be a stalemate, it was not, as there was one very important difference between the two men's situation. Juro had dropped his gun, the other man hadn't. With a bullet soon piercing Juro's arm, he lost his grip and fell, landing back first on a large rock. The pain was too much and he found himself passing out.

The man in white was proving to be a challenging opponent for Masaru, matching him blow for blow. Despite his nervous appearance, he was a very skilled swordsman. Each was trying to pierce the other's defence and neither could quite pull it off. Masaru was starting to get annoyed while his opponent just continued to look nervous. The angrier Masaru got, the less thought was put into his attacks, making it easier for his opponent to block and dodge them. Eventually Masaru was just swinging wildly and the other man was easily dodging all of his attacks. Finally the blue haired swordsman decided to counterattack, but in an interesting way. First he put his sword's handle into his mouth, and then he made two more swords appear and somehow connected them by the hilt. With this done he jumped into the air and began spinning them, their blades knocking away Masaru's attempt at blocking the attack and leaving numerous cuts along his chest. The man finished his assault by stabbing both blades into his shoulder and jumping behind him before removing the sword from his mouth and stabbing him through the back with it. The injuries were too much and Masaru soon collapsed.

Mao's assault was still as relentless as before. Shinji couldn't remember the last time he had been forced to take a defensive role in a fight but so far he hadn't had the opportunity to attack. His arms were getting tired but Mao didn't seem exhausted at all. He would try his new attack if Mao ever left an opening but he never did. At this rate he'd lose and soon. There was only one thing he could think to do but it was something that he was afraid to try.

If he summoned his Persona he could probably win. But could he control it? Without the pills and in his current emotional state, what's to say it won't attack one of the others? What if it turned on him? How could he fight himself? And that's under the assumption that after he died he could still draw Castor out. Was it worth the risk?

Still blocking Mao's attacks, he looked around the battlefield. Aki, and Dai were in bad shape, they wouldn't last much longer. Juro and Masaru were out cold and their opponents were going to help their allies. Agnus was getting tired and it was clear some of the flames had hit him, so he was in no shape to stop the swordsman attacking him as well. Samantha had been hit by several more arrows and the gunman who had taken down Juro was now taking shots at her as well. They were losing badly.

He had no choice. He had to try. In the brief moment between one of Mao's attacks and the next, he reached for his Evoker, hoping he could pull this off. He managed to grab the pistol shaped object and remove it from its holster but was soon forced to return his attention to blocking Mao, which would need both hands. The next flurry of attacks was the most vicious yet, almost completely breaking his defence. He just managed to hold on and the second there was even the slightest pause in the attacks he brought the Evoker to his head and pulled the trigger.

"Castor!"

With a sound not unlike a window being shattered, a tide of blue energy covered Shinjiro's body and soon after a familiar figure rose from his body. The Persona Castor floated into the sky and all who were still conscious stopped to stare at it. Most were confused, wondering what exactly this thing was and how he had summoned it by shooting himself in the head. Mao on the other hand looked fascinated and strangely aroused, so much so that he only tried to block the incoming attack too late and Castor threw him across the battlefield. Mao's allies were nervous now, all looking at the thing with wide eyes and pointing their weapons at it. Dai and Aki took this as there chance to start getting the others back to the portal.

Castor released several attacks which forced Mao's forces back as Shinji's two remaining allies got their fallen comrades to safety. No one knew how to fight this thing and everyone was waiting for someone else to try. None did though, for as soon as the last of his allies had made it through the portal, Shinjiro's strength gave out, dismissing Castor and causing him to slowly pass out. The last thing he felt was two pairs of arms grab him and drag him away followed by the feeling of passing through a portal.

 

 


	13. Chapter 12 – Reflection

**Chapter 12 – Reflection**

* * *

Shinjiro awoke to find Matildo healing him. A few moments later, he remembered why. The fight with Mao and his team, summoning Castor and then collapsing from the strain, he remembered it all. And while his body was for the most part unscathed, he could feel that his energy had left him. Matildo was restoring it, but he could feel that the effects were slow.

He looked around the room he was in, wondering where the others were. None of them were to be seen but it was clear that they had been here too as the other beds in the area were messy, as if someone had just gotten out of them.

He wondered where they were and if they were okay.

* * *

Aki had gone back to the abandoned classroom that he called home. None of the others had gone there, though to be honest he was glad about it. It gave him some time alone to think.

His first thought was his battle with Champloo. He had won that fight, why didn't he win the last one? As he thought about it, another question entered his mind.

How did he defeat Champloo?

Thinking back on it, he wasn't sure. His Master had always been strong and deep down he knew that he was holding back in their fight but, to give in after one strike to the face wasn't like him. Especially when he was sure his punch hadn't hit. Why had he given in?

He looked down at his hands. Ever since he started training with Champloo, he had considered them to be strong, but now…

He didn't know what to think.

Some of his hair fell in front of his eyes and his attention drifted to it.

Silver.

No. Not silver. Black that he'd dyed silver.

He'd done it so he could escape the image of his father. But all he had done was take on the image of Champloo's disciples. Was he even himself or just what he thought he should be?

He couldn't answer any of these questions, so he sat in silence, hoping that someone could give him an answer.

* * *

Masaru was still in the main hall, hiding out of sight. He had been staring now for what felt like hours. His gaze never broke from her.

The blue haired girl who never talked.

He was amazed that she was able to find her way around the school regardless of any changes that sprung up overnight. He was amazed that she was able to say all she needed to without making a noise. Everything about her fascinated him.

But all that was irrelevant. What he was feeling now should be cast aside.

He had a mission and he wouldn't let his emotions get in the way. He had made an oath and he was going to fulfil it.

He had agreed to help on Shinjiro's mission, but not because he wanted to help the Human. And while he genuinely cared for his friends, Aki in particular, deep down he knew it wasn't for them either.

It was to become strong. Strong enough to do what he swore he would. Strong enough to see the flames rise once more, and burn those that had first lit them.

But could he become that strong?

He had lost to someone who looked like he was going to run at any moment. How?

Was his opponent just that strong? Or was he far too weak?

He needed to become stronger, but how? How could he become strong enough to wage his one man war?

He didn't know, but he knew that he'd figure it out. As long as he was alone with his thoughts he would always find a solution.

Until then, he continued to stare at her, hoping that one day he could speak to her, with his soul cleared of past failures.

* * *

Dai was in one of the many corridors, though which one he was unknown. The only thing mattered right now was that he was pounding his fists against one of the walls. His hands had long since become sore and his body was covered in sweat but he didn't care. He was too angry to care.

That warrior he fought had made a fool out of him. How could a guy with an axe that big be that fast? It didn't make any sense.

No. It made perfect sense. It was that he was better than him. He just didn't want to admit it.

The more he thought about it, the louder a voice in his head got, a voice he would rather forget. He had long since buried it but now it was all he could hear.

_You're useless._

_How pathetic!_

_Weakling!_

_Loser!_

_Hahahahahahah!_

With a scream of anger, he punched clean through the wall, the entire thing collapsing under the force of his fist.

The voice was still there though, still mocking him.

 _ **She**_ was still mocking him.

What right did she have? It was because of her his life was so flawed!

If it weren't for her, his body wouldn't always be torn. Because of her he could never make a decision, his mind always going in two directions. He thought he'd finally found something to make his body shut up by using the sword and the axe but that just made him slow and weak.

His eyes shot open as he felt a sharp pain in his back. He could feel something trying to push its way out through his flesh. No… it was two things! He could feel them pushing against his skin, begging to be released. He focused his mind, and soon after the pain subsided, the force pressing from within had faded.

He wouldn't become like her. Never.

* * *

Juro had found himself on the outskirts of the academy, looking out on to the void beyond. He noticed several rocks floating in front of him. Pulling out his gun, he started firing, hitting every piece of debris he aimed for. When he was done, he gazed down at his gun. His aim was perfect. He never missed. So why did he lose?

Simple, he met someone of equal skill.

That man, whoever he was, had matched him shot for shot. They had been evenly matched for the entire fight. It had been… exhilarating.

And then at the moment of truth, he made a simple mistake that made the biggest difference. How could he have dropped his gun? It was stupid! It was amateur!

But then again, the gun had always been his second calling, the one he chose.

He was born to use a bow. When he used one of those, he never missed. He could fire eight arrows from the same bow and hit just as many flies in the air. And no one could get him to drop it. Archery was always a skill in their family.

That's why he'd quit. He didn't want to be like his brothers. Eight of them may have well as been clones of each other for how alike they were. And then there was him… His oldest brother, the first and the best. No one could beat him when it came to the ways of the bow. He was the greatest and he knew it. But Juro knew what he was, and what he had made their other brothers into and he would never let it happen to him.

So he took up the gun and soon he was an expert with it. But he would never be as good as he had been with that bow…

No! He wouldn't give up! He would prove that he could do it! One way or another he would become the best gunner in the world, and then-

…

He only hoped that he could do it before more lives were destroyed…

* * *

Samantha didn't care where she was, she was too angry to pay attention. How could this have happened? How could she be so embarrassed by a healer?

Had she not gotten stronger since she came here?

If that was the case, then why stay? If she wasn't going to get stronger, than why was she still trying? Without strength, she couldn't…

Shaking her head, she dismissed those thoughts. She needed strength to help the people that mattered to her. Who knew what was going on there right now? She needed to get stronger fast or it would be too late!

She could only hope that the red haired kid from her home would keep his promise and keep them safe…

* * *

Agnus had returned to his training grounds, which had quickly been abandoned after he left. He started wandering around, hoping to find something he could train with. He came to a stoop when he stepped on something. Looking down, he saw a wooden pole with one end snapped. He bent down and picked it up and as soon as his fingers touched it, a sense of nostalgia washed over him.

It was his spear. The one he had use against Shinjiro. The one which he backhanded the head off of.

He had lost that fight too.

How could he beat an Overlord if he couldn't beat a single Human?

It wasn't the first time he had doubted himself. He had done the same once before so many years ago…

He thought he'd moved past it. But he still had a long way to go.

Until then, he'd keep practising.

He'd start by finding the spear head and fixing it. After all it was rude to just leave that man's gift to him broken.

* * *

Shinjiro was finally up and had started thinking about what he did. He had summoned Castor, as he had done many times before. But something was different this time. The Persona drained him more than usual. Was it an effect of him dying? Maybe.

But that wasn't all. Because the second he summoned Castor, he could feel it trying to defy him. He had to have absolute focus to keep it in control for as long as he did. He was starting to think it was a good thing he passed out, much longer and who knows what would have happened.

Was it because he didn't have the pills? Or was it something to do with the fire In his mind?

Either way he knew he couldn't take the risk again. It had worked this time, but it might not the next.

With that decided, he thought back to the white haired Demon he fought.

Mao.

Such power and ferocity were wrapped inside that body. It was a miracle he was still alive. But that just made him reach one conclusion. That he needed to fight harder, to defeat more Demons and become strong enough that he could beat Mao and his father. He had failed too many times in his life. He had failed to save Miki, failed to stop Akihiko from becoming obsessed with fixing his conceived faults, failed to stop himself from killing an innocent woman, failed to stop her son from becoming obsessed with hatred and revenge.

He would not fail again.

* * *

As he walked to the classroom, where he hoped the others would be, he was approached by a man in a black suit, "Excuse me?"

Glancing at him, Shinji stopped to see what the man wanted, he looked concerned.

"What?"

"I've heard about you. You're the one who summoned that thing against Mao."

So word had spread… He hoped it hadn't gotten too far.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I need your help. My friend, the famous delinquent Raspberyl, has been kidnapped. I need someone strong like you to help me rescue her."

The man's concern seemed genuine and if this delinquent had really been kidnapped, then that meant two things.

One: Someone is in danger, and he didn't like that.

Two: There would be plenty of people to beat up.

"Alright. I'm in."

The man looked both relieved and ecstatic, "You will? Oh, thank you so much!"

"Come with me, I've got some other guys who can help."

"Thank you again. I'm in your debt."

"Yeah, yeah, just tell me your name."

"Gin. What's yours?"

"Shinjiro."

"Nice to meet you Shinjiro."

Who knows, maybe beating up some kidnappers would make them all feel a lot better.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gin is property of KO. Here is his character sheet:
> 
> Gin  
> Title: Delinquent Gentleman  
> Voice: Johnny Yong Bosch  
> Weapon: Axe, Staff  
> Skills: All magic skills including buffs and debuff's, as well as healing  
> Dance Macabre (Gin summons a scythe and slashes the targets one by one.) Description: Hope you know the steps! Range: 5 (x-formation with a chance of deprave)  
> Final Masquerade (Gin summons five Death's, each wearing different mask, and each one dances around before they suddenly cut the target's in half.) description: You can't party without a mask. Range: 8 (nine targets in a square formation.)  
> Appearance: Palish skin with yellow eyes and glasses, black hair that goes down to his neck, and white bangs. He also wears a black jacket with black slacks, two white lines around the biceps and calf's. He also has black shoes.  
> Description: a guy who looks too much like Death the Kid it's ridiculous. He's also Nether institute's second top Delinquent, and he also happens to be Raspberyl's best friend. he and Mao get along like Cats and Dogs.  
> Evility: Formal Delinquent (If next to Raspberyl, Gin's stats are increased by 25%


	14. Chapter 13 – Rise of a Leader

**Chapter 13 – Rise of a Leader**

* * *

Having arrived back at the classroom, Shinjiro was surprised to find that only Aki was present. What surprised him even more was the fact that Aki's usual energy and enthusiasm had faded away, replaced by a contemplative look and depressed eyes. He gave only the briefest greeting before returning to his thoughts. Shinji however wasn't going to leave him alone.

"Where are the others?"

Aki shrugged, not even bothering to look at Shinji and simply gazed at one of the badly damaged lights in the room. Now feeling annoyed by Aki's complete apathy and depressed by how it reminded him of Apathy Syndrome, Shinjiro walked over to the silver haired fighter and punched him in the face. Hard. So hard that the Demon went flying off the desk he was sitting on and collided with the one behind him with enough force to send it into the three in the row behind it.

Angered, Aki rose from the small pile of desks and charged Shinjiro, his fist pulled back ready to strike. His efforts were met with a head butt to the face and a sudden collision with the ground. A hand then grasped his collar and pulled him up to his feet.

"What was that for?"

"To stop you from being depressed."

"What?"

"You lost a fight. Big deal. You can't win every fight and if you don't lose, you don't know what you lack. Don't think about how you lost, think about WHY you lost and eliminate that reason."

Silence followed as Aki thought about what Shinji said. It made sense to him, if he could figure out why he lost he could avoid doing the same in the future. But that didn't change the fact that Shinjiro had punched him in the face.

"I'm kinda angry now…"

"Then focus that on our next fight. There's something we need to do."

At this, Aki sat down, and for the first time noticed the suited man standing in the doorway.

"Who's he?"

"This is Gin, and he's got a job for us."

Gin took this as his cue to start talking, "My friend, the famous delinquent Raspberyl, was kidnapped by the school board and the PTA. I need help rescuing her."

Aki almost fell out of his seat at this, "The PTA? You want us to take on the Perfectly Trained Assassins? For a delinquent?"

"Ordinarily I wouldn't ask something like this. But she is my closest friend and I doubt anyone will help her if I don't do something. Please, I need your help."

As he said this, he lowered himself to his knees and placed his hands in a praying gesture. Shinjiro saw that his face was showing nothing but pain.

"She… means a lot to you?"

"There is no one I trust more. I want to help her! Please aid me in this!"

Shinjiro looked at Aki, who looked somewhat sad as he observed Gin's pleading.

"Aki. If it was your friend, would you go this far?"

With widened eyes, Aki stood upright, as straight as an arrow. After the longest ten seconds in Gin's life, he saw the silver haired Demon's hand in front of his face.

"Let's do this."

With a huge smile, Gin accepted the hand and was quickly pulled to his feet, "Thank you! I will repay you both for this kindness!"

"Don't thank us yet. We've got more people to convince."

"Of course. I know someone who might be able to help as well. I will speak with him if you find the rest of your allies. I will meet you in the main hall later."

Shinji and Aki nodded and Gin soon left. Shinjiro was about to do the same, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey. I need to talk to you."

"What is it?"

"What you said, about why I lost. I still don't know why I did. What was the reason?"

Shinji thought about the answer he was going to give, before finally turning to his ally, "I don't know, but we'll figure it out."

Not wasting time he then left to find the others. Aki stood there for a minute before finally realising what Shinji's words meant. He was offering to help him become a stronger person. He cared enough that he would do something like that. That made him smile before walking after him, determined that they would take down the strongest of enemies, starting with the PTA.

* * *

They found Dai first, wandering the corridors nearby. He had been easy to convince, Aki had just told him that there would be lots of guys to work out his anger on. The idea of it made him smile and he instantly agreed, even after hearing who their opponents would be.

Masaru was found shortly after and Aki pretended he didn't see his best friend staring at Pleinair. The other two genuinely didn't notice. While it had been more difficult to convince him, they had eventually succeeded when Aki reminded him that the school board loved to hypnotise people. Hypnosis was one of many things Masaru considered dishonourable, and anything that was on that list was something that offended him. He agreed under the condition that they destroy as much of the school board as they could before they left.

Soon after convincing Masaru, Agnus returned from his trip to the training ground, and the group talked to him. He was quick to agree, determined to do better this time. However he insisted that someone fix his spear before they go.

Samantha also wandered into the room around that time and approached the group. The idea of taking on strong opponents was all it took for her to agree to help, much to Dai's annoyance.

That left only Juro, who they eventually found, still practising at the outskirts of the Academy. He started off surprisingly unresponsive, not facing the group. When they mentioned the PTA though, he suddenly turned and became very interested in the mission. In fact it seemed like he was ordering them to take him with them.

With the team reassembled and all their weapons ready, they walked back to the main hall, ready for their mission.

* * *

They found Gin very easily, since he was standing in the middle of a grey room dressed all in black surrounded by people in more colourful clothing and with more vibrant skin colours. Standing next to him was a man with green hair wearing a black button up shirt with white cargo pants and a blue carbon jacket. A cheerful smile adorned his face and he was clearly the man that Gin said would help. When the group approached, the two turned and Gin moved towards them.

"Is this everyone?"

"Yeah. This your friend?"

The smiling man then approached and grabbed Shinji's hand, "Name's Saiduq, pleased to meet ya and I'm not just sayin' that cause I'm getting' paid!"

With his oddly specific introduction out of the way, Saiduq stepped back, never losing his smile. Before anyone could draw attention to his statement, Gin began talking, "I would like to thank you all for coming. I promise I will repay you all for this. As you know, my friend Raspberyl, is being held prisoner by the school board. I want to free her before they can begin to brainwash her. I'm sure many of you have questions and I will try my best to answer them."

Masaru was the first to speak, "Do you know where you're going?"

"Yes, I scouted ahead and found there headquarters. I would have gone in right then but there defences were too good. I'd have been captured or worse in seconds."

Agnus was next, "How long ago was she taken?"

"Not long, around the same time that the Class Leader election began. Since brainwashing takes time, that should give us at least an hour to get to her, hopefully more."

It was Aki who raised the most important question though, "Do you have a plan?"

"Only the beginnings of one. Unfortunately the inside of their headquarters is unknown to me, so we'll have to improvise once we're inside. I was thinking of attacking one of the side entrances. There less guarded than the front or the back so we have a better chance of getting in."

It was clear that there were going to be more questions so Shinjiro figured now was as good a time as any to raise his own point, "Hate to cut off question time, but you said we have a time limit. We gotta get going now."

This comment quickly got a nod of agreement from the others and Gin quickly led them to the Dimension Gate.

* * *

The side entrance seemed to have been their best bet, since there were only three guards. All of them were convinced that they could easily take them. Their confidence wavered a bit when one of the guards, without aiming, managed to shoot a fly with an arrow with perfect accuracy.

"Dude, what the hell?"

"What?"

"You just wasted an arrow on a fly! What if you need that?"

"It's just one arrow…"

The two guards continued to bicker like this while the third hung his head in shame, embarrassed that he had to work with these two idiots. This left all of them so distracted that they didn't notice the group hiding behind the corner, planning on how to take them down.

"I can take these guys." Saiduq commented, still smiling, as if his face was incapable of showing any emotion other than joy. Shinjiro stopped him.

"No, we tried rushing a skilled opponent once and it didn't work. We need a plan."

"Oh, and I take it you have one?"

When all eyes turned to him, Shinjiro recoiled slightly, not expecting that everyone would look to him. Even Gin, the one who led them here, and Masaru, the smartest of his group, were looking to him, waiting for him to tell them what they should do. Taking a deep breath, he started saying the most natural thing that came into his mind.

"Juro, you're skilled in long range combat, you'll distract them. Samantha, you were able to catch that last archer's arrows so you cover the rest of us. Dai, Masaru and Agnus, get inside when you get the chance and don't wait for the rest of us. Aki, stick with me, we're going to take down those archers."

"What about us? " Gin inquired, gesturing to himself and Saiduq.

"What can you do?"

"I'm skilled in several forms of magic. Fire, Ice, Wind, etc." Gin proudly stated while clutching a staff.

"OK, you're gonna help Juro draw their attention. Try and take one out if you can. What about you?"

Alarmingly, Saiduq's smile grew larger, even though that seemed impossible. "I'm a master of beating the crap out of people. Just get me in punching distance and I'll make 'em hurt!"

"Good, you're with me and Aki. Once we take down those archers, we'll slip inside and meet up with you three. You guys ready?"

Everyone nodded and got into position, waiting for Shinjiro to give them the order to advance. After a few seconds he uttered the one word they all wanted to hear, "Now!"

Juro and Gin immediately jumped into action, sending bullets and bursts of magical wind at the enemy. Since they had been caught off guard, it took a few moments for the guards to retaliate, but as soon as they did, arrows were flying everywhere. Most of them were deflected by Gin's wind spells and the remainder either missed or were caught by Samantha, who was moving with unbelievable grace.

Dai, Masaru and Agnus took advantage of the distraction and the support of Gin and Samantha and quickly made a rush for the door. Since the archers were stationed above it, the three didn't have to worry about forcing their way past them. Using his axe Dai burst through the door and the three soon vanished.

Juro and Gin were in trouble now, the former running low on arrows and the latter growing tired. Shinjiro and his two allies would have to hurry unless they wanted an arrow filled gunner and mage.

And then the arrows stopped. The two looked up to see that something else had drawn the enemy's attention. Shinjiro, Aki and Saiduq approaching from the roof.

Aki was the first to jump down at them, narrowly dodging an arrow on the way dwon, and landed in a kneeling position before upper cutting his enemy in the jaw, sending him off the ledge they were standing on.

Saiduq followed the silver haired Demon and as soon as he landed roundhouse kicked his opponent into a wall, knocking him out in one strike.

The third man was panicking now, there were two enemies advancing on him and he had nowhere to run. He was so focused on the two men next to him, that he noticed only too late that Shinjiro had also jumped, his axe held over his head. He saw him just in time to raise his bow to try to stop the strike. However this was a pointless effort, as an axe being propelled by the force of gravity will easily cut through any bow and the glasses wearing face behind it. In fairness to the man, despite his incredibly painful facial injury, he remained standing until Shinjiro personally pushed him off the ledge to join his ally.

The team on the ground smiled up at them and the two soon met up and proceeded through the door. As they ran, Aki once again got Shinjiro's attention, "Hey, what you did back there… That was real leader stuff."

Juro continued where his friend left off, "He's right man. You really took command."

The other three nodded their heads in agreement before returning their focus to running. Shinjiro was silent. Him? A leader? The thought seemed so strange to him but at the same time he felt strangely pleased hearing it in his head. Maybe he could be a leader. But right now that could wait.

After all they had teammates to catch up with and Gin's friend to save. The subject of a leader could wait.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saiduq is property of Demons Anarchy. Here is his character sheet:
> 
> Saiduq  
> Title: Slave Driver For Hire  
> Vocice: Greg Ayers  
> Weapon: Fists  
> Skills:  
> All fist skills from A Promise Unforgotten  
> Let's get wild! (Saiduq summons a Chernobog and rips apart the enemies.) Description: Death isn't exactly a good thing. Range: 7 (single enemy with a chance of deprave)  
> King of Beasts (Saiduq summons all monster type characters and herds them into a stampede.) Description: Head for the hills! Range: 3 (three tiles, deals Star damage)  
> Heavenly Ruler (Saiduq's body glows red as he raises his arm and his body lifts into the air, several pillars of light shoot out from a glowing red ring from the sky, and upon impact, breaks apart the ground.) Description: Hasta la vista, commoners. Range: 5 (nine tile square formation)  
> Appearance: Pointy ears, blue eyes with slits, and somewhat resembles Ken. Though he's young, like Raspberyl and Mao, he is mature. He wears a blue carbon jacket with a buttoned black shirt and white cargo jeans. His hair is green.  
> Description: Wage slave by day, and hero by night, Saiduq is up-beat and works for anything with the right price. He thinks of Beryl as a sister, and Mao as a cousin. He is also on good terms with monster type characters.  
> Evility: Beast Master Imitate (Increase any monster type allies by 25% if deployed on the field)


	15. Chapter 14 – School Board Battle

**Chapter 14 – School Board Battle**

* * *

The school board headquarters was a strange building. From the outside nothing seemed particularly unusual about it but the inside was almost entirely empty. The only surfaces which could be walked on were stacks of books and mysterious floating tapestries, which felt like they would break with every step you took. The only source of light present was a group of blue flames, scattered wildly around the black void.

Shinjiro's group had been running for several minutes and still hadn't run into their allies. They also still couldn't see where they were going or how to get to where Raspberyl was being held. They were all starting to worry that they were going the wrong way when they spotted several arrows planted into the books ahead of them, a little blood on the side of one of them. At this sight they all abruptly stopped, some bumping in to each other in the process.

Kneeling down, Shinji looked to both sides of the walkway. On each side were several book stacks, taller than the one they were on now. With further observations, he figured out that the arrows had clearly been fired from these platforms en masse. Chances were that the targets had been the initial team as they went through, but there was no evidence that it was them or whether or not the target had made it through the barrage.

"Be careful, whoever shot these arrows might still be here."

The others nodded and they quietly began walking, careful not to alert any potential enemies of their presence. They got about halfway across when Juro heard something. The unmistakable sound of a bow string being stretched.

"Look out!"

As soon as he yelled this, he pulled out his gun and fired in the direction the shot came from. The bullet hit the archer in the face, which normally wouldn't have been that much trouble, if it weren't for the fact that he was standing on a very small platform hovering over a bottomless abyss. His scream could be herd for about a minute before he got too far away to be heard. Everyone looked at each other as a realization snuck into their minds.

If they could hear it for a full minute after he fell, so would every guard in the area.

With this thought firmly in their minds, they decided that stealth and subtlety had lost its appeal and began running as fast as they could. As expected, more archers began appearing to shoot at them, arrows raining down from their bows. The team was at a disadvantage as only two members of their team could fight back and one of those twos attention was aimed at using wind spells to blow away most of the arrows. That left Juro to fire back at the archers, a task he was proving very effective at, as a single shot would usually send its target into the void below.

Eventually the group got to a point where the book towers stopped, so if the archers wanted to keep shooting at them, they would have to fight on the same ground as the rest of them. Each of the remaining archers jumped down to the tapestry they were all now standing on and readied their bows. Thanks to Juro's efforts, about half of them had been defeated already but that didn't mean they could relax yet. There were still about ten left and there was just enough distance between them that they would be able to fire several shots before the group even reached them. Still they had to try and so Shinji, Aki, Samantha and Saiduq charged at them, with Juro and Gin attacking from a distance.

Each archer fired 5 arrows before they were under attack, most of them missing as the people firing them were used to firing from above and would either shoot to low or overcompensate and fire too high. Some of them did hit who they were aimed at but they were only minor injuries that the injured could easily walk off.

Samantha was the first to reach the archers and it soon became clear that the only reason they were so dangerous was because they loved to outnumber their enemies and attack from too far away for them to fight back. As soon as the Nekomata's fist collided with a random archer's ribcage, he was sent so far back that no one could tell if he landed on the platform or fell off it. The others were so distracted that Saiduq was able to kick one into the very pillar he'd been standing on, leaving him to desperately cling onto it, before anyone noticed he was there. And as soon as they did, Aki took advantage of that distraction to kick two of them in the head, knocking them out instantly.

The remaining six were panicking, they were surrounded and their enemies were too fast to hit with their arrows. One of them was so panicked that he was pointing his bow in every direction, trying to decide where to fire. He finally decided to fire when he turned and came face to face with Shinjiro. The arrow was intended to hit its target between the eyes and it would have, had it not been the fact that the guy was shaking so much and hesitated enough that Shinji only had to tilt his head slightly to cause it to miss and hit one of the other archers in the eye.

With no arrow in his bow, the panicked man was quickly grabbed by the more intimidating man and used as a shield against the slightly more accurate enemy's attacks. As soon as four arrows had been sunk into the poor man's chest, Shinji raised him over his head and threw him into two more, knocking them all out. The remaining two were backing off, too afraid to look away from their attackers and too shaken to even draw an arrow, let alone fire it. Alas their escape was halted when a ball of fire collided into them, badly burning their outfits and making them pass out from the pain.

The group looked to each other and, upon seeing that all were present, silently reached the conclusion that they should keep going.

* * *

It wasn't long after this that they saw several figures in front of them, each removing arrows from various parts of their bodies. The closer they got, the more familiar the other group got.

"Guys!"

Aki wasted no time running to his friends and began removing arrows from Masaru's back. The others did the same for Dai and Agnus, and as soon as all of them were removed, Gin cast a healing spell on them to close their wounds. Looking much better, the three explained that they were ambushed by the archers but since they lacked any means of long range combat, they were forced to simply run and try their best to block the arrows with their weapons. Judging by how many arrows now littered the ground, it was safe to say they hadn't done a very good job.

"Did you see anyone else on your way here?"

The three simply shook their heads, Gin quickly becoming worried as they did. Knowing that they had to move, Shinji cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "We're wasting time here. We've gotta keep moving."

No one argued with the statement and they continued on their path. Or at least they would have if someone hadn't walked out in front of them. It was a girl with huge curly pigtails, wearing a blue and white dress and a huge belt. She looked injured, annoyed and completely oblivious to their presence.

"Those brats! If it weren't for them and that unlicensed teacher, I would have turned that delinquent into an honour student by now! Damn it!" Turning, she finally noticed the group and recoiled slightly. "And who the hell are you?"

Gin stepped forward, his staff raised and anger evident on his face. "I am Gin. You kidnapped my best friend and are trying to turn her into an honour student! I will punish you for that!"

The woman scowled, "So, you must be another delinquent… Well, the first one might have gotten away, but I'll definitely convert you! PTA, punish these rebellious students!"

With a snap of her fingers hundreds of men appeared, each clutching bows. A single look at them proved that they were different from the ones the group had been facing up till now. The ones before wore red coats and favoured the high ground. These ones wore white and at least half of them were on the same level as their targets. If nothing else these ones were more confident and knew to bring more reinforcements. There were also less ledges to knock them off of, so the group couldn't take advantage of that like they had before. To make matters even worse, they were right in the middle of the room and there was nothing for them to hide behind. They were sitting ducks and everyone knew it.

"Fire!"

With that simple command from their leader, the archers began firing from all directions, the number of arrows could have easily cut down an entire army and they were all heading towards the defenceless warriors. Gin did his best to deflect the arrows with wind spells but there were so many of them that he would be lucky to stop half of them. The only choice the group had was to use their weapons as shields and stick close together, forming a circle to cover each other's backs. The arrows weren't slowing down and many of them were getting past their defences. There was nothing they could do.

Until the explosion anyway.

It had been sudden and unexpected, no one knew where it came from or what had caused it. They all began looking around for whatever had done it, only to be caught off guard by another explosion, this time on the opposite side of the room. Then there was another, and another after it. Suddenly there was a barrage of explosions, each followed by another in a different place but all of them striking the members of the PTA.

"Wha- What is going on?" the woman screamed as more and more of the PTA were knocked out by the explosions. She was answered by a voice from the shadows.

"My plan, that's what."

Following the voice, everyone saw a Demon dressed in red with black and white hair and a pair of mismatched wings. She smiled at them while holding a huge handgun. Shinjiro was the most surprised as he recognised the girl.

"Mei?"

"Hey there! Glad to see you're not dead. After all I get so much more info from living specimens."

Feeling somewhat alarmed by her casual way of saying this, Shinji thought it would be best to change the subject, "Why are you helping us?"

"Wellllll, I need you alive to experiment on you. Plus I need to teach the school board a lesson."

As she finished speaking, the explosions stopped, revealing that about half the PTA had been knocked out. Mei looked somewhat disappointed. "Hmmm, must have run out of Prinnys… Ah well, guess we'll have to deal with the rest the old fashion way."

Despite making him uncomfortable with her talk of experimenting on him, Shinjiro was glad to have the back up, and was very glad to see her shoot several members of the PTA with her gun. He felt even better when he noticed that she apparently loaded that gun with something equivalent to shotgun shells, easily blasting away her targets.

With only half of the PTA left and most of them on ground level, Saiduq saw his chance and quickly rushed at the nearest archer. Unlike their previous enemies, this one remained calm even when the man was just a few feet away and fired several arrows at him. One of them imbedded itself in the charging man's shoulder but did nothing to stop him from upper cutting his target into the air.

While this was happening, the other members of the PTA had refocused their attention on their targets and had begun firing again. Since most of them were unconscious, the amount of arrows had drastically decreased. It was still a threat but now it was enough that Aki, Masaru and Samantha were able to slip out and start fighting back. Masaru had decided that the best thing to do was to rush through his enemies, not slowing down to make sure they were defeated. That way, if nothing else he was making them focus on him, giving the others a chance to join the fight. His strategy was proving efficient, knocking out about a third of the people he hit and making the others start firing at a moving target.

Aki and Samantha however had been told by Shinjiro to slip past everyone and deal with the remaining enemies above them. Samantha was the first up and helped Aki the rest of the way. Since the area they were in was round, they could afford to both go separate ways and would meet on the other side when they were both done.

Juro, who was still with Shinji and was currently using Gin's wind spells as protection, was shooting at the archers that Aki and Samantha wouldn't reach for a while. Unfortunately these archers were tough and were able to take several bullets before they even tried to stop him. "I'm gonna need a bigger gun when this is over…"

Saiduq was continuing to randomly attack everything that crossed his line of vision and, while he was now starting to look like a Demon shaped pin cushion because of how many arrows he'd been hit with, he was also defeating a lot of enemies. The most notable enemy he fought was one who not only managed to dodge his initial attack, but then almost stabbed him in the face with one of his arrows. Quick reflexes had managed to catch the man's arm just a split second before the arrow had a chance to enter his eye. Saiduq's superior strength quickly pushed it back and he proceeded to slam his forehead into the glasses wearing man's nose, breaking it and knocking him out.

The PTA were falling fast, Aki, Samantha and Juro had dealt with most of the enemies on the upper level and the hat wearing gunner was now climbing up there so he could get a better view of the battlefield. Saiduq had cleared out a lot of the enemies on the ground and most of the ones he hadn't were now trying to hit the blur the blur Masaru had apparently turned into. With very few enemies left to fire at them, Shinjiro gave the order for Dai and Agnus to join the fray and that Gin could finally go on the offensive. All of them liked this plan.

Agnus was the first out and put his newly mended spear to good use when an archer tried to shoot him, only to find that the spear wielding Demon had jumped into the air and promptly stabbed him in the head before flipping over him and slamming him into the next enemy he saw, dislodging the spear from his brain in the process. Agnus was very happy to have his spear back.

Dai meanwhile had proved that, while he was slow because he used two big weapons, he was also very hard to take down. Any arrows which did get past his enormous axe barely seemed to faze him. And he continued his approach on a group of three archers. When he finally reached them he cleaved through all of their bows with a single swing of his sword before hitting one with the flat side of his axe, sending that one into the next one and finally into the third one before flinging them across the room.

Gin wasn't interested in fighting the archers though, his focus was on the woman, who he could only assume was the president of the school board or at the very least a high ranking member of it. Since he was so angry, only one spell seemed appropriate, and the fireball he made was quite large. She was able to dodge most of the attack and countered with at least four arrows. One grazed his chest but the others missed entirely. Both faced each other, knowing that the person in front of them was the only one they should be focusing on.

While all this was happening, Mei was continuing to blast enemies with her overpowered gun and seemed to be enjoying it, "So many specimens today! I look forward to experimenting on you~!"

She was so focused on the targets in front of her thought that she didn't notice that one archer had discarded his bow in favour of a short sword and was approaching her from behind. Slowly he raised the blade, intending to finish her in one strike. He only stopped when he suddenly felt pain in both his arms and saw something drop from above his field of vision. Looking down, he saw that it was a pair of severed arms. In white. Clutching a short swords.

He realised what had happened around the same time his blood had and started flowing out of the stumps where hands used to be. His scream made Mei turn and notice not only him, but a surprisingly angry looking Shinjiro. The axe wielding man seemed unconcerned by his enemies pained yell and lifted him by his collar before flinging him across the room. He collided with several of his own allies before slamming into one of the book stacks with enough force to knock it down. With the enemy and several others defeated, Shinji glanced at Mei, clearly still angry and quickly said, "We're even."

With that said, he rushed to join the battle once more, not noticing Mei's smile as he went. Most of the PTA were now feeling something they hadn't felt in a long time: Fear. They had killed that emotion along with any doubt that they were anything less than the best. Seeing a man soaked in one of their owns blood charging toward them with an axe in hand, quickly reminded them what it felt like. Suddenly he became their primary target but their suddenly shaking hands made it harder for them to aim and only a few of them were able to fire with any level of accuracy. Plus the fact they were all focused on him meant that they were caught completely off guard when they were hit by their original targets. The PTA were dropping like flies, soon there were only a handful left and most of them were getting sloppy and missing their targets.

The only person who was still fighting with any degree of skill was the leader who was still focused completely on Gin. She had hit him several times but every time she did, he had been able to hit her with one of his spells. He had mostly stuck to fire and wind, which had helped stop most of her arrows. The two had kept their distance from one another but Gin had been edging closer the entire time. She didn't even notice, let alone suspect that he was doing it for a reason. Finally, when he was close enough, he smiled before raising his staff into the air. Almost immediately, a blade appeared on the side of the weapon, turning it into a scythe, before she could even process what had happened, Gin dashed forwards, slicing her with the scythe as he went. Her blood flowed from the wound and she was forced to her knees.

"Damn it! PTA, hold your fire!"

Not liking the order, but not wanting to oppose their boss, the PTA did as she said and lowered their bows. Everyone stopped attacking as soon as they did, except Saiduq, who had caught one of the archers in a headlock and punched him in the face at least three times before noticing that the fight was over.

"We acknowledge defeat…"

With their enemy defeated, Shinjiro and Gin approached her. Gin grabbed her arm and forced her to her feet, "Where is Raspberyl? Where are you keeping her?"

"Hmph, she already escaped. All because of those rebellious students and that uninsured teacher."

"What? She's safe?"

"For now… we haven't given up on her yet. We will make her an honour student!"

Surprisingly, it was Mei who was the first to argue, "What a joke. You were going to force her to be an honour student? How pathetic! Demons are supposed to disobey rules and authority. By defying you, she's being more Demon then you could ever hope to be. Besides, you don't get people to follow you by hypnotising them. You kill them and make their corpses an example to others! Cut off their hands, stick their heads on spikes, feed their corpses to monsters. Come on, even Humans knew to do this stuff hundreds of years ago. You have no excuse."

"Shut up! You're just a delinquent who doesn't know what it means to be a Demon! You have no right to lecture me!"

A fist to her stomach cut her off and she soon felt the same hand forcing her to face Shinjiro. "I don't care about how Demons like their lives. But one thing that pisses me off, is people forcing others to live a life they hate. You want Demons to live how you want them to? Give them a reason to. Not fear or their not living how they want to or even how you want to. Because as soon as that fear goes away, they'll go right back to how they were and you'll have accomplished nothing."

When Shinjiro and Gin suddenly let go of her, she collapsed to the ground and looked up. Seeing all of her enemies standing over her she suddenly felt so small, so weak. She finally knew what it felt like being a student in fear of her and the PTA. And she hated it.

"Enough! Please… I see now. If I want this school to be what I want it to be, I'm going to have to do it without inspiring fear. I'll find some other way to make them realise what an honour student is, no hypnosis."

With a firm nod, Shinjiro turned and everyone followed him, leaving the school board president to think about what she would do now.

* * *

When the group finally emerged from the building, Shinjiro decided it was time for Mei to answer his questions, "Alright, why were you really there?"

"I told you, I can't let you die before I experiment on you and I needed to teach the school board a lesson."

"Is that all?"

"That's all."

"Ok then, how did you find us?"

"Oh I've been following you ever since you met these two clowns." She pointed to Gin and Saiduq as she said this.

"Hey!"

"I resent that!"

"Whatever. Anyway, that's not all. I heard about what you're planning to do. How you're taking on a bunch of strong Demons in the hopes of getting a shot at the Overlord. Tough goal."

"Yeah. What's it to you?"

Mei's smile grew sinister, "I want to fight you."

"What?"

"Yeah. You get yourself patched up and then we're going to have ourselves a little fight. One on one. I want to see what you're capable of."

"And what reason do I have for fighting you?"

Mei blinked, her face gaining a confused look. It seemed that she hadn't even considered that he'd need a reason. Eventually she answered, "If you win, I'll help you beat the Overlord."

That was a tempting offer. More allies was always a good thing and she had already proved herself as an effective fighter. Having her on his side would he a major help.

"And if I lose?"

Mei's smile returned, even more ferocious than before, "If I win, I get to do whatever experiments I want to you."

That was not something Shinjiro would usually agree to. Mei had already proven that her idea of experimenting on someone involved shoving a scalpel into their chest, a fact which made him appreciate Aki's fast reflexes. On the other hand, if he won he'd gain a powerful ally. Which was greater, the risk or the reward?

"… Deal."

Mei chuckled slightly and the others stared at him as if he had lost his mind. "Good. Meet me by the Dimension Gate when you're ready. Your friends can watch if they want. Don't leave me waiting."

With a last chuckle, Mei turned on her heel and walked away, a malicious joy radiating off her. Shinjiro wondered if he had gotten in over his head. It was too late to go back now. He would have to get ready to fight her.


	16. Chapter 15 – Battle by the Red Moon

**Chapter 15 – Battle by the Red Moon**

* * *

The group had made it back to the main hall, none of them speaking on the way. As soon as they arrived Gin spoke up, "I'm sorry, but I have to leave now. I have to see if Beryl is alright."

"That's fine." Shinjiro told him, not bothering to turn around.

"I will repay you for this. All of you."

"Go."

With a nod and a wave, Gin left, his form soon fading into the shadows. Saiduq cleared his throat once the suited Demon was gone.

"Well, since he was the one paying me, I should be going too. It was fun working with you. In fact…" He pulled out a phone and passed it to Juro, "If you ever need an extra set of hands, call me. I'm speed dial number 1. Until then!"

He ran off before anyone could say anything and soon he too was nowhere to be seen. With both of them gone, Shinjiro found himself surrounded by his allies, all with serious expressions on their faces. Since he was directly in front of him, Aki was the first to speak.

"So what now, boss?"

"Boss?"

"Yeah, I mean, you're our leader after all."

"…Whatever. First we need to get our wounds looked at. Masaru, I'm going to need all the info you can get on Mei. Dai, you know weapons, see if you can get your hands on something I can use. Juro, do the same as Dai, but look for armour, I don't want her shoving a scalpel in my chest. Aki, Agnus, Samantha, see if you can find out anything about Mao, we might have to fight him again in the future and I want to be ready for if that happens."

All of them nodded before going to have Matildo heal them. When all of them were healed they separated to complete their individual tasks. They all agreed that they would meet by Takehisa's alter when they were done. Speaking of Takehisa, that was who Shinjiro was going to meet.

* * *

As soon as he arrived in his mind he could tell something was wrong. It was brighter than before, warmer too. The fire had grown even more since he had last arrived. It was still quite a distance away but he could still feel its heat. He still didn't know what the fire was but it was clear that whatever was causing it wasn't something he was fighting.

While the fire worried him, it wasn't what he had come here for. Turning away from it, he approached one of the nearby pillars and removed the next block from his mind. A new technique appeared in his mind and he hoped that this would give him the edge he needed.

* * *

Emerging from his mind, Shinji found his team waiting for him. As he approached he turned to Masaru, "What have you got?"

"Barely anything. Apparently she came to the Academy just a little before you did. And the only note from the teacher was that she loved to experiment on things."

"Damn it. We already knew that." Sighing in frustration, Shinji turned to Dai and Juro, "What about you two?"

Juro held up something at this, "I managed to pick up this vest. It's a bit battered but it's thick. Should be able to stop a knife but if she uses that gun of hers, you're in serious trouble."

Shinjiro simply nodded, knowing full well what would happen if he were shot. Accepting the vest, he removed his coat and handed it to Dai. After he put on the vest, he took his coat back and put it on again, completely covering the fact he was wearing a vest at all. Masaru smiled in understanding and the others soon followed.

"I'm afraid I couldn't get a new axe for ya. The prices are ridiculous at that place. But I can let you use my axe for the fight. I'll expect it back when we're done though."

"Of course." Shinjiro said simply, accepting the large axe Dai was fond of. Finally it was the other's turn. Agnus was the one who reported for them.

"Well, between us we've been able to find out that Mao is after the same goal as us, the defeat of the Overlord, though we haven't found out why yet. He also insists that he's the only one allowed to do it, so he's gonna try and stop us. It would seem that he was also the one to rescue Gin's friend, and the students made him class leader for it, so he's got the entire year behind him now. We also learned about the two that served him that Masaru and Juro fought. The swordsman's name is Almaz and from what we can tell, he is a human being turned into a Demon…"

"What? Another human?"

"Apparently, but keep in mind that many Demons lie and they may have been trying to deceive us. The other man's name is Cross and he has served Mao for many year now, but apart from that, We couldn't find much."

"That all?"

"Yeah. Nothin' else."

Nodding at this, Shinjiro checked his equipment to make sure he was ready. After he was certain he told the others to visit Takehisa and then decide on their next opponent. He didn't want them to come with him and they all accepted that, though Aki and Samantha seemed more reluctant. With that done, he began walking to where Mei said she would be waiting. Before he arrived though, he heard a voice call out to him.

"Hey!"

Turning he saw Gin running towards him. When he finally reached him he extended his hand, which was currently clutching a strange object in it. "I want you to have this. It's an Imperial Seal. It's magic draws out potential from deep within and adds a little power of its own. Since you were going to fight that Mei girl, I figured you might need it."

Knowing that he would need every advantage he could get, Shinji accepted it and put it in the inside pocket of his coat, uttering a quiet thanks to Gin. With his gift delivered, Gin wished him luck and left again.

With nothing left to stop him, the young Persona user walked to the Dimension Gate. When he arrived, Mei was nowhere to be seen. While looking around for her, the Prinny in charge of the Gate spoke up, "Are you Shinjiro, Dood?"

"…Yeah. Why?"

"I was told to deliver a message from a girl called Mei. She says she'll be waiting on the school roof for you. I've already prepared the Gate for when you're ready, Dood."

"I'm ready now."

The Prinny nodded and opened the gate, which Shinjiro quickly walked through.

* * *

The school roof was surprisingly simple compared to the rest of the Academy. It was a simple flat surface with no obvious decorations or anything to make it more appealing or practical. There was also nothing to stop people from falling to their deaths if they got too close to the edge, and even from a distance, Shinji could tell that he would die if he fell, no questions asked. But perhaps the most noticeable thing was not part of the roof but floated above it, above the entire campus.

The moon, which from looked bigger than the sun back home. It took up an incredible amount of the sky and he had to wonder how high up they were and whether he should be worried about lack of oxygen.

His thoughts were cut off by someone singing, the voice familiar but the song unknown. Glancing across the roof he saw Mei standing with her back to him, probably unaware he was even there. Her eyes were focussed solely on the moon as she sang. The song was strange, it spoke of being reborn free of sin, but it sounded so sad. He couldn't tell if it was the song itself or it was reflecting Mei's emotions. When she finished she began to speak, her eyes still not leaving the moon.

"The moon is beautiful from up here, don't you think?"

Shinjiro didn't answer.

"I love to come up here and sing the song the Prinnys taught me. I'm not even sure why. It just feels… right. But you're not here to listen to me rant are you." She turned as she said this, her eyes showing no sadness or joy. Whatever she was feeling, nothing about her showed what it was. Slowly she picked up an axe from the ground and entered a battle stance. "Whenever you're ready."

Shinjiro grabbed his own axe and charged at his enemy. He intended to hit her with the flat side of the blade to avoid hurting her too badly. Naturally she blocked this with her own weapon and countered by jabbing the handle into his jut. The Vest meant that the wind wasn't knocked out of his lungs but the impact was still enough to knock him back slightly. As soon as he recovered, he lifted his axe over his head to block her next attack.

The two stood in stalemate for several seconds, her trying to force her axe closer to his skull and him forcing it back. Finally Shinji broke the stalemate with a quick kick to Mei's ribcage. It was sloppy but it did its job and made her strength fail long enough for him to break free and follow up with a punch to the same spot. This was much more effective and left her panting.

He should have attacked again. If he hit her with his axe it would probably end the fight right there. So why couldn't he bring himself too? Was it because she looked like Hamuko? Or did the song make him feel sorry for her? Maybe it was both at the same time. Either way, he didn't strike and she soon caught her breath.

Not showing the same hesitation that Shinjiro had, Mei quickly attempted to imbed the axe into his side. He once again blocked but was caught off guard and soon found his axe flying from his hands and landing several feet away. He was at the disadvantage now, without a weapon he couldn't block her attacks without risking serious damage to his arms.

Mei almost looked disappointed that the fight would be over so quickly. Much to his surprise, she proceeded to jump backwards and plant the axe into the ground. Before he could wonder why she would do this, three white spheres of energy appeared around her before flying at him. They were too fast for him to dodge and he soon found each of them colliding with him, knocking him onto his back. If he had been able to look at her, he would have noticed that Mei's hands were now engulfed in black flames. Though he did hear her snap her fingers just before the spheres turned black and exploded.

When the blast subsided, Mei walked over to her opponent, his body sprawled out on the concrete, no sign of life present. She sighed, feeling disappointed that he hadn't put up a better fight before smiling at the idea of experimenting on him. Deciding that it would be best to experiment on him back at her makeshift lab, she moved over to his shoulder to pick him up.

And felt his fist collide with her face.

The sudden impact and the fact that she was caught off guard made the punch very effective, sending her reeling back, giving him enough time to get up. When she brought her eyes to him, she saw that he clearly still had fight left in him, as he had now taken a new fighting stance, one which involved keeping his hands close to his face but far enough away that he could perform quick jabs.

But something didn't make sense to her. How was he able to hit so hard after her attack? She'd put a lot of energy into that attack so how was he even still standing? Then she looked closely, her eyes focussing on a small cut in his coat. Underneath she saw the vest he was wearing, which had taken the majority of the impact from the initial strike and had lessened the force from the blast. While she was looking, she noticed something else that had eluded her earlier.

Gloves. He was wearing a pair of fingerless gloves with mettle knuckles. No wonder that last punch had hurt so much, he'd brought a second weapon to the fight!

All of this would make a normal fighter angry that their opponent had thought so far ahead. Mei however wasn't normal and felt excited that the fight would keep going. Her huge smile was proof enough of that.

Despite the fact that she had left her weapon in the opposite direction, Mei attempted to attack him again, this time using only her bare hands. Shinjiro waited for her to get close before ducking down to dodge her sweeping arm, before countering with a fist straight into her shoulder blade. The distinctly unhealthy sound it made combined with the yell she released proved that he had dislocated it. Now was his chance to end this fight.

Capitalising on the fact she was recovering from her previous injury, Shinjiro landed another punch on her face. Not waiting for her to recover, he quickly jabbing his other fist into the same spot. Finally he pulled himself into a crouch, readied his fist and, with all the strength he could muster, performed an uppercut that collided directly into her chin. The force lifted her off the ground and she landed on her back, her face bruised and with a look of pure pain plastered across it.

When she finally opened her eyes, they showed no sadness at losing, instead merely looking to the moon once more. Despite everything, she found herself singing the same song again.

Just like before, Shinji made no effort to stop her and listened intently. The song said that the red moon would cleanse sinners and allow them to be reborn again. He wondered if it was true. And if it was, would he one day have his sins cleansed by it? Or had it already been done?

When Mei finished she tried to get up, but her arm made it difficult. Shinjiro, against his better judgment, helped her find her feet. Once he had, she looked up at him, her eyes as blank as they had been before. "I guess you won."

"Yeah… Now, you made a promise to me."

"I did, didn't I? Okay, I'll help you beat the Overlord. But before that, I want to ask you something. Where did you get those gloves? You weren't wearing them when you arrived here."

"I asked Dai to pick them up for me when we were at the infirmary. He slipped them into my pockets for me and when you hit me with those spheres I just slipped 'em on."

"Clever. I think I'm going to enjoy working with you…"

Without saying another word, the two walked back to the Dimension Gate and after that, the infirmary to get Mei's face healed and her shoulder fixed.

* * *

Once Mei was healed, the two walked to the classroom, only to find that all of their allies were gathered around in a circle. They could hear them talking but could only pick out bits and pieces.

"Do you think they know each other?"

"I don't know…"

"What's another one doing here?"

Not feeling like waiting for answers, Shinjiro decided to interrupt them, "What's wrong?"

All of them turned to face him. They had been so caught up in their own conversation that they hadn't noticed him return. Samantha was the first to answer, "You should see this…"

As Shinjiro got closer, the group parted to allow him in. His eyes widened at what he saw. There, slumped in a chair unconscious, was another human. And not just any human. It was a man with short black hair and a clearly expensive suit. But it was not these that made Shinjiro recognise the man. For these two had only met once and most of these traits were common. But there was one feature that made him unique, one feature that had stuck in Shinjiro's mind and would forever be associated with this man.

An eyepatch.

Takeharu Kirijo was in the Netherworld.


	17. Chapter 16 – Resolve to Reunite

**Chapter 16 – Resolve to Reunite**

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Shinjiro sat down across from the eye patch wearing man. He couldn't believe that he was here too. What did it mean? Why them but no one else? How he wished someone had the answers to these questions, but it didn't seem like anyone did.

The others remained silent, all knowing from his body language that Shinji knew the man they had found, but decided to wait for the shock of seeing him to wear off before they started asking questions.

Mei on the other hand…

"Ooh! Another Human to experiment on! Now I've got two potential test subjects. This one looks older, so I should be able to test how the body changes as it-"

"You're not dissecting him!" Shinjiro forcefully stated.

"Why not?" she seemed genuinely confused as she asked this.

"Because I need him in one piece."

"Can I dissect him when you're done?"

"No!"

Mei pouted at this but obliged, putting away the collection of scalpels she had pulled out while they were talking. The yelling however seemed to reach Kirijo and he began to stir awake. His eye slowly opened and with a confused look on his face. When his gave finally landed on Shinjiro, shock replaced confusion.

"Y-you're… Aragaki! B-but you died!"

"Hate to say it, but it looks like you did too."

In hindsight, he probably could have broken it to Kirijo better. However by the time he had thought of a better way to say it, it was far too late. Strangely, Kirijo seemed strangely accepting of this fact, just taking a deep breath.

"Where are we?"

"The Netherworld."

"Then I will gladly accept punishment for my sins."

A familiar feeling entered Shinji as he heard Agnus, Samantha and Mei burst out laughing at this. Aki, Dai and Juro all chuckled lightly and he heard Masaru mutter, "It's not as funny the second time…"

Naturally Kirijo looked confused at why they were laughing and Shinji quickly began explaining the situation.

* * *

Kirijo listened to all Shinjiro had to say about their current predicament, asking questions every so often, and took the information in surprisingly quickly. Now, it was Shinji's turn to ask questions.

"OK, how did you die?"

"… It was Ikutsuki. He betrayed us!"

"What…?"

"Everything he said was a lie! He wanted the twelve Shadows to fuse into something far worse, something capable of ushering in the end of the world! He played us all like puppets!" As he finished saying this, Kirijo lost his temper, rose from his seat and kicked a nearby chair across the room, narrowly missing Aki's head. Shinjiro just sat in shock, everything he had done to stop the Dark Hour had been for nothing. The man they had trusted had been manipulating them all along. A question needed to be asked.

"You said he wanted them to fuse into something that would end the world. Did he succeed?"

"… I'm not sure. The twelve Shadows were all defeated, and if he was to be believed then, yes, he succeeded."

And with that said, despair entered Shinjiro's soul. The world was almost certainly doomed and chances were that even if he made it back there in time, he wouldn't be able to stop it. What was the point of continuing?

"He didn't succeed." Masaru said bluntly, his voice seeming more bored than anything. Everyone turned to him. Sighing, he began to explain, "Think about it. If an entire world was destroyed, then how come there isn't a flood of Prinnys? And for that matter, if the world ended, how come only this guy kept his Human form? Surely others would have appeared."

"What if you're wrong?"

To give his answer, Masaru walked directly into Shinjiro's face, barely an inch between them and said in a voice that was just above a whisper, "Prove me wrong. Walk to your world and prove to me it ended. Then I'll say you have the right to give up. You started this quest to get you home. See it through to the end."

With that said, Masaru turned and sat back down. Everyone was silent as they thought about his words. Shinjiro in particular contemplated what he said and, no matter what way he looked at it, Masaru was right. There was no proof that the world had ended, they were just speculating. And until they knew for sure, giving up wasn't an option. During his contemplation though, a thought entered Shinjiro's mind, a question which could shed light on his situation.

"Kirijo, when did you die?"

"The date was-"

"Not the date! The time!"

"… It was during the Dark Hour. Ikutsuki shot me."

It was just as Shinjiro thought and this led to another question, "You said that the Dark Hour is an anomaly of some sort in time and space right?"

"Yes…"

"And Masaru, you said that no Humans have ever come here after death?"

"Yes. Where are you going with this?"

"Kirijo, the Dark Hour is a time period which exists outside of normal time. That's the time displacement. But what about the spacial one?"

Kirijo's eye widened as the gears of his mind began to turn, "Of course! We were only looking at how the time changed but we never noticed anything spacial other than Tartarus! If you're right about this, then the reason we're here is because we died during the Dark Hour, correct?"

"That's my theory. I don't know if it's right or not but right now it's all we've got."

"It's as good a theory as any. And it means one more thing…"

"What?"

"… When Ikutsuki killed me, he had the members of SEES hostage and Aigis completely under his control. He planned to kill them for his sick desires."

"What!? Why didn't you tell me this sooner!?"

"We got carried away, I didn't get the chance! I'm still coming to terms with everything that's happened. But think Aragaki, if your theory is correct, then there are two possible outcomes of that night. Either, they are dead and are somewhere in this world waiting to be found. Or…"

"They're still alive…!"

"Exactly! Either way, there is hope for them!"

Shinjiro felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. If there was even a chance that they were still alive, then he was going to cling onto it like it was the only thing keeping him alive. And given his current situation, it probably was.

"If that's the case, then we can't afford to wait around. We have to keep going with our journey." Kirijo nodded at him and the two turned to the others who were looking at them with either looks of confusion (Aki, Dai, Juro, Samantha and Agnus) or the same looks an inquisitor would wear when he's about to start interrogating someone (Masaru and Mei). Shinjiro then realised that he and Kirijo had been having this entire conversation without explaining anything to them so it was no wonder they were confused.

"You want an explanation?"

"Yes. Now." Masaru said forcefully. The others nodded and the two felt obligated to explain. Since he knew them better, Shinjiro thought it would be best for him to start off.

"In my world, there are creatures known as Shadows. They feed on negative emotions and possess incredible power."

"My father noticed this power and began experiments to see if he could manipulate their power for his own purposes. In this mission, he amassed many Shadows and sought to use them for horrible goals. Then, in the final stages of his plans, something happened… One of the scientists caused an explosion that destroyed the entire building they were operating in. While this ceased my father's ambitions, it also altered the fabric of time and space forever."

"After the explosion, something we called the Dark Hour appeared. It's an hour that exists at midnight but when it's over, the rest of the world still thinks its midnight. Only a select few can enter the Dark Hour. We were some of those few."

"The Shadows made the Dark Hour their home, feeding on the emotions of any people who were drawn into the Dark Hour unnaturally, and leaving them in a state of total apathy. We could not allow this to continue."

"We began investigating the Dark Hour, trying to find a way to stop it for good. But to do that, we would have to face the Shadows. There was only one way to do that. The power of Personas."

"Personas are a powerful force that some rare individuals could summon from within themselves. Their strength was enough to defeat the Shadows and enter their den, the warped, twisted version of where the experiments took place, and where most Shadows gathered. Tartarus."

"We thought that we had finally found a solution to make it go away, when our advisor told us that, in theory, the Dark Hour would vanish if we defeated the strongest Shadows, the ones which only appeared on the night of the full moon. But as I'm sure you've already gathered, he was lying to us."

"Shuji Ikutsuki. Like myself, he could enter the Dark Hour but possessed no Persona. For years we believed that he was helping us when really he was sabotaging everything we had been working for. And then the night we believed we had finally won, he kidnapped our allies and planned to sacrifice them to end the world. He and I faced off, both of us fired. And then I was here."

The others seemed to have taken this in despite how complex and improbable it seemed. Then again, Shinjiro had seen things here that almost made his mind explode from how little sense they made. These guys were probably used to the strange. But that didn't mean Shinjiro was done talking.

"I never even got the chance to fight it. I died near the end of our hunt for the Shadows. An enemy Persona user attacked me and another member of our team, a kid. He shot me twice, but the others arrived and scared him off before he could hurt the kid. And now they're in danger and they need all the help they can get. So I'm gonna ask this now. Are you gonna help me or do I have to take on the Overlord by myself?"

He was fully expecting silence as they all considered whether or not it was worth it. He was pleasantly surprised when Aki immediately stepped forward.

"I'm in. I'd do the same for my friends."

Agnus chuckled at this before smiling, "Like I'm gonna just give up. I'm gonna make sure I look the Overlord right in the eye!"

Samantha thrust her fist into the air, "Hell yeah! This is the most fun I've had in a long time! You couldn't drag me away!"

Juro flicked his hat and looked Shinji in the eye, "I'm with her, this is way too much fun to give up now."

Dai wrapped his arm around Juro's shoulders and gave him a playful nudge, "Wherever my buddy here goes, so do I!"

Masaru simply shrugged and said, "I got nothin' better to do."

Mei seemed the most hesitant, as if she was still thinking about something, "Do you really think you can do it? Get back to Earth and stop the end of the world?"

"Probably not. But it's not impossible."

"And what if it becomes impossible?"

"Then I'll make it possible! Even if I have to climb my way into God's throne room and beat him to death to do it!"

Mei was silent for exactly five seconds before she started laughing all over again. When she finally calmed down, she stared at Shinjiro with a smile on her face, "Ha, I've never met someone so determined before. That's gonna make it real fun when I finally experiment on you. But I'm gonna have to stick around you if I want that to happen."

Despite her promise to cut him open and examine everything he'd prefer stayed in the confines of his ribcage, Shinjiro was happy that she had agreed to help. With everyone agreeing to help him he felt like he really could defeat the Overlord, make it back home, and kill whatever it was that was trying to end it.

"I want to fight to." A firm voice said from behind him. He turned to face the business man who looked fiercely determined.

"It won't be easy."

"True. But it can't be harder than knowing that your daughter's life is at risk and has been every night for the past ten years."

Nothing Shinjiro could say could possibly argue with that.

"OK… have you got a weapon?"

Kirijo reached for his pocket. And then his other pocket. And then all around him.

"I must have lost my pistol when I died…"

Mei quickly pulled out her enormous gun and moved to give it to him. Juro stopped her, "Whoa there! Remember that this guy is human. The recoil on that thing would probably break his wrist. Tell you what, I'll take it and he can have my gun."

Mei made no effort to stop him and Shinjiro wasn't sure if Juro was saying that stuff because he meant it or because he wanted the shotgun pistol for himself. Either way, Kirijo had a weapon and the team had all agreed on what to do.

"OK, I think that we should all get a little rest then continue on our mission tomorrow. If our enemies are going to get tougher, we'll need to be ready."

No one argued and soon everyone was getting ready to sleep. Kirijo took this chance to pull Shinji to one side and talk to him, "Do you really mean what you said about facing God if necessary?"

"…My Girlfriend is at risk. She gave me reason to live. I will NOT let her die."

"So that's how it is… For the love of your life and for the daughter I cherish more than anything, we will face anything."

"Sure looks that way."

Kirijo smiled, a rare occurrence, "I am glad that it is you who is by my side right now. I can see the fires of determination in your soul."

And with that said Kirijo sat down and went to sleep. Shinjiro looked over the sleeping people that he was now leading. They had all sworn to his cause and were expecting him to lead them. He knew that he wouldn't let them down.


	18. Chapter 17 – In the Pasts Shadow

**Chapter 17 – In the Pasts Shadow**

* * *

It was easy for Shinjiro to sleep that night. He had been fighting for almost all of it and it was finally taking its toll on him. But as before, sleep was not necessary, but not welcome.

This time he remembered the time that he first entered the Dark Hour. He had been picking up some ingredients for a dish he wanted to try when suddenly the whole world shifted around him. The sky and moon turned an eerie shade of green. All the light failed along with everything else electrical. The water now resembled blood and was spread across every surface he could see. And most terrifyingly of all, everyone around him was replaced by a large coffin.

Needless to say, he had been surprised, confused and scared. He quickly ran, trying to find out what had just happened. Everywhere he went it was the same combination of darkness, blood and coffins. He was panicking now. What if everywhere was like this? What if it had happened to Akihiko? What if he was the only one left unaffected forever?

It was at that moment that a calmer, more rational part of his mind forced those questions away and told him to remain calm and keep looking. And so he did. For what felt like hours he wandered the streets, desperately looking for any signs of life. There were none.

Until he entered one particular alley. There he saw… something. He didn't recognise what it was and he was pretty sure something like that would be easy to remember. Its body seemed like a black blob with arms and a blue, mask-like face. It seemed to be prowling the area before it noticed him.

The second it saw him it charged, it's arms clawing at thin air as if that would make it go faster. He figured it was best not to wait to find out what would happen if it caught him and started running away from it. It was fast, but he was faster and eventually he got away from it. By the time he had he was panting, desperately trying to catch his breath. He didn't know what that thing was but he was glad it was gone. Something about it just seemed… wrong. As if it's very existence disturbed, scared and enraged him.

Still trying to catch his breath, he slumped against a nearby wall and collapsed. Pulling his legs towards him and resting his head on them, he desperately tried to control his own emotions. He barely noticed that the world had returned to normal around him.

Then only darkness entered his vision.

Lifting his head, he noticed that he was still in the same place as before only now there were no lights at all. Even the stars and the moon were gone, even though the sky was clear. All the people who had been transmogrified had vanished too as had the blood-like water scattered around the street.

Standing up, he looked to see what else had changed about this dream. Something entered his vision immediately and he turned to face it.

Standing in the middle of the street was a man with spiky black hair dressed in a grey Hakama and a sleeveless, open front vest. A tiger was tattooed on his left shoulder, a dragon on his right. Raising his hand, a sword in a wooden sheath appeared in his hands. Slowly he drew it and even from at least ten feet away, Shinjiro could feel the power coming off it. But it was at this point that it became obvious that the man wasn't looking at him. He was focussed on the darkness ahead. Looking to see what the man was so interested in, Shinji turned and his eyes widened.

Emerging from the shadows, and almost completely fading into them, was Masaru. In his hand was the same kind of sword as the stranger, a katana with a wooden handle. He was brandishing the sword with the clear intent of using it and was getting closer and closer to the mysterious man.

And then they both spoke, their voices mixing with a hundred others as they recited the same words.

" _Two pasts have come to join each other, leading to the same future. Alone the Black Sword craves blood, but does it wish for the blood of enemies lost or the blood of kin restored?"_

When they finished speaking they both charged, the stranger turning into a being of silver light and Masaru's entire body becoming as black as the deepest shadows. The two collided and a burst of black and white filled Shinjiro's vision.

When the two colours flooded his senses, he saw many images. Just like before he saw black wings, a giant eye, a golden orb and a black mass with red eyes. Now though there were even more images. Now he saw a man in a gold and orange robe laughing before his body distorted. He saw the demon he had lost to, Mao, filled with rage and engulfed in darkness. And finally he saw the outline of a man amidst a sea of fire.

Just like before, the images proved too much to take in at once and he was sent to his knees. He was clutching his head, suppressing the urge to scream. Just when he felt like he was finally going to, he felt a gentle hand touch his cheek and lift his head up. Standing there, still as pale as when he had last seen her, was Hamuko, and just like before she spoke in the voices of many.

" _When despair fills the world, the angel will rise to face it and push it back once more. With her heart filled with hope, she will seek to vanquish it forever."_

He knew what would happen next, though that didn't mean that it didn't still hurt. Just as in his last dream, Hamuko began to fade into light. He wanted to reach out to her, to grab her hand and make it stop, but he did not have the strength. By the time he could finally raise his hands to her, it was too late once more.

He didn't scream this time. Instead he merely cried, their silent words speaking for him. If he couldn't save her in his dreams, how could he save her from the end of the world?

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed that he was not alone, though when he saw his guest he wished that he had been.

Standing there, with her wings stretched out, was Mei. She had the same face, the same hair, the same clothes, the same everything. Except for her eyes. Her eyes were gone and in their place were a pair of cold, black voids. Staring at it filled him with despair and pain and soon he found himself unable to keep his eyes open and he soon found his mind fading away.

* * *

He awoke calmly, his eyes damp, proving that his tears in the dream were real. The others were still asleep so he took the chance to wipe his eyes and collect his thoughts. The first time he had one of these dreams had been alarming, now it was scaring him, to have two dreams of similar nature yet so different in how they progressed was unnatural.

And he couldn't help but wonder, why had his dreams always included one of his new allies so prominently? And what did it mean by, 'two pasts' and 'when despair fills the world'? And why did he feel that these dreams were important, like if he didn't listen to them people could die?

He would need to find out but until he could he decided not to tell any of his demonic allies. While he trusted them, he still didn't know why they were in his dreams and if this was normal. If he told them, they might think he was crazy and stop following him, He would tell Kirijo, then begin investigations of his own.

Speaking of Kirijo, he wasn't where he had last seen him. Standing up to see where he had gotten to, he quickly found his answer. As there, lying by Samantha's feet was the man he was looking for, a content smile on his face. It took Shinji a few moments to figure out why. For with close examination, he could see that Kirijo was lying in just the right spot to look directly up the Nekomata's skirt.

"What. The. Hell?" Were Shinji's thoughts, though he was smart enough not to voice them. He could hardly believe it. The solitary, stoic and distant head of the Kirijo group was a pervert!

Part of him was tempted to wake him up and scold him for it, which would have been strange seeing as how he was the younger of the two, but he stopped himself. You see two thoughts entered his mind. First, he didn't want to wake anyone unless he had to and second…

After that nightmare, he could use a laugh and Samantha's reaction would probably give him one.

So he sat down on one of the chairs and waited for the inevitable to happen. While he did he tried to push the thoughts the dream had stirred in him out of his mind. He didn't try to sleep again, knowing that would be a bad idea. Instead he looked at his axe, which he had gotten back from Dai earlier and started thinking about how he would, hopefully, be able to go back soon if he used this a few more times.

He'd just have to be patient and see if the dreams revealed their purpose in time.


	19. Chapter 18 – Conflict and Seduction

**Chapter 18 – Conflict and Seduction**

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL?" was the sound that most of the group awoke to, followed by a cry of pain. Shinjiro knew he shouldn't have found this funny but Kirijo kinda had it coming to him. Samantha was glaring quite furiously at the eye patch wearing man, her face read with anger and embarrassment.

The others had mixed reactions to this. As with most things, Masaru glanced at the scene briefly and then decided that it wasn't his problem and went back to sleep. Aki didn't seem to understand what was going on but assumed that Samantha was right to do it and made no effort to help their new ally. Dai seemed surprisingly smug about this, as if he knew it would happen, though he couldn't enjoy it for long as he had to quickly stop Juro from firing his new gun in surprise. Agnus seemed to follow Masaru's lead and pay as little attention as possible, though he did let out a small chuckle at the scene. And Mei…

"Oh that looks bad. Let me take care of that for you~."

"I'm grateful." He said through the pain. Only Shinjiro noticed that he kept glancing at Mei's breasts.

" _Didn't he learn anything?"_

"Now, let's get you fixed up!" Since she said this while holding some string and a needle in one hand and a large saw behind her back, Shinjiro quickly took her away from Kirijo and pried the large instrument from her hands.

"No dissecting our allies."

"Why? I could make him stronger while I'm doing it."

"You don't make that decision for them."

"You're no fun."

Ignoring her, Shinjiro lifted Kirijo off the ground and started leading him towards the nurse's office.

"Masaru, make a plan for our next move while we're gone."

Masaru only grunted and gave a half-hearted wave, not even bothering to lift his head from the desk it was currently pressed against. Assuming that that meant okay, Shinjiro quickly left.

After they did, Dai turned to Samantha, a glare evident on his face. "I knew this would happen! You monster types are all the same!"

If it was possible, the Nekomata got even angrier at this. "What?"

"You heard me. A monster can't control their instincts! You may play dress up and pretend that your better but you're not! All you care about is eating, sleeping, fighting and having sex! That's all that goes through your head!"

Samantha snapped at this and lunged at him. "AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHH HHHHHHH!"

The impact was enough to make Dai stumble but he kept his footing and quickly caught her arms in his own. "See! You just love to fight!"

"I'm only doing this because you're a racist bastard!"

They were interrupted by a powerful voice, "Enough!"

All looked at Masaru, who was now standing and looking very similar to a drill sergeant. If drill sergeants wore all black, a Longcoat and had hair that meant you couldn't see their eyes.

"What the Hell is wrong with you? We're on the same side, yet you two squabble like children!"

"I shouldn't have to work with he-"

Aki's fist proved surprisingly effective at stopping that sentence. Now the focus of Dai's anger was the martial artist.

"You should be ashamed of yourself Dai! Samantha offered to help us and you've done nothing but belittle her and insult her!"

"She deserves it!"

"No she doesn't!"

"Quiet! Both of you! Dai, Aki is right, you're anger against her is threatening our abilities to work together. Pull it together!"

Aki seemed taken aback by Masaru's comment. "Wait, that's the only thing you have a problem with?"

"We have a goal and we can't afford for any of our allies to be fighting each other. I'm not going to tell them to make up because frankly, that's not my problem. And don't think that you're clear of blame here either Samantha!"

"What? He started insulting me!"

"And you lost your temper! Your actions proved his point and gave him even more reason to insult you. He may be the one at fault but you made the situation worse by attacking him!"

"GRAAHH! I don't have to take this! I'm going to go find Shinjiro!"

And with that Samantha stormed out of the room. Masaru threw one last glare at Dai before continuing his planning. Dai in turn left, making sure to use a different door to Samantha. A concerned Juro decided to follow him. Aki and Mei, having stayed out of the argument continued to pretend like nothing was wrong and continued sharpening their weapon and counting their scalpels respectively.

Aki approached Masaru, a worried look on his face. "You know that what you said didn't solve anything."

"…"

"They're still gonna be at each other throats."

"…Yeah. But what else could I say? How can I make them suddenly forgive each other?"

"…I don't know."

"I hope Shinjiro can think of something to say to them, otherwise we're gonna be in a lot of trouble."

"Yeah…"

Masaru sighed. How he wished Shinjiro had been there to resolve this. He wasn't great at talking to people and he knew it. He could only hope that he'd mended enough cracks in that relationship to get them through the next battle.

* * *

Samantha soon found herself wandering the corridors, trying to find the main hall, but her anger filled mind was affecting her sense of direction. Eventually she stopped walking and resigned herself to the fact that she had gotten herself lost. She was just about to retrace her steps when she heard a voice coming from behind her.

"Hey. Don't I know you?"

The voice was familiar and turning around, she realised why. It was the same man that had helped them in raiding the School Board.

"You're… Saiduq right?"

"Glad to see you remember me." He said, showing off his usual smile. It quickly faded though when he noticed how upset she seemed. "What's wrong?"

"Tch, just one of those guys I've been working with is a bastard. He started saying that since I was a monster type, that I was just some beast that only lives on instinct!"

"What? To say that to such a pretty girl is just plain wrong!"

"And he knows how useful I am to this team! If I didn't have such fast hands he's have been skewered by all those arrows at the School Board!"

"Yeah. Speaking of which, I should thank you for that. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't been there. And the way you took out those archers was practically art!"

Samantha smiled. This cheerful man was infecting her with his positive emotions and compliments and boosting her mood a lot. "Well, at least you appreciate my talents."

"Obviously this guy's an idiot. Want me to deal with him for you? I'll even do it for free."

"Hmmm, tempting, but the team needs all the help we can get. I'll put up with him for now."

"It's your call. Is there anything I can do for ya?"

Samantha thought about this, then smiled. "Yeah, we're probably gonna go looking for a strong opponent soon. Come with us. It'll be fun."

"… Eh, why not. I could use the practise. Plus then I can put that guy in his place if he acts up again."

"Thanks."

With that decided, Samantha was about to lead him to the classroom when she remembered something very important.

"Ummm, do you know how to get to the main hall from here?"

* * *

Dai had been wandering for about five minutes now. He knew Juro was following him but so far neither of them had spoken. Finally he came to a stop and sighed. "Is there something you want Juro?"

"I just want to see if you're okay."

"Of course not! As long as that damned Nekomata is here, I won't ever be okay!"

"…"

"What? Are you going to lecture me too? You know why I'm angry! You of all people should understand!"

"I do! Really! It's just… don't you think you're taking this out on the wrong person?"

"What?"

"You're attacking Samantha for something you know wasn't her fault. You're yelling at her, but it's not her you're really angry at. It's just that she reminds you of her because they're both monsters."

"You're one to talk. Didn't you enjoy taking out those archers yesterday because of who they reminded you of?"

"I'm not denying that! I know I took it out on the wrong people, but at least the people I did take it out on were our enemies! You're attacking our ally!"

Without thinking, Dai punched Juro across the face, his eyes practically burning with anger. A few seconds after Juro hit the ground, he realised what he had done and was instantly remorseful.

"J-juro… I'm sorry. I was so angry and…"

"I… understand… Maybe I should have been a bit more gentle with my comments." Grabbing his hat, which had fallen when he was hit, Juro got back to his feet, Dai helping him up. "Just promise me something."

"What is it?"

"Next time you feel angry against a monster, target it at our enemies. We both know you need strength if you want to fight her, and fighting your own teammates isn't going to help."

"… I'll try."

"That'll do for now."

With that agreement reached, the two also began to head for the classroom. Juro clutching his bruised cheek the whole way.

* * *

Shinjiro couldn't believe this guy. He had looked up Samantha's skirt and that had gotten him badly cut across the face. He looked at Mei's breasts and he'd personally chewed him out for it. And now, while Matildo was fixing the quite severe looking gashes, he looked down her dress as well! Though in fairness given the neckline on that thing it would be hard not to look, even if you didn't want to. It was a good thing Matildo kept her eyes closed all the time or she'd probably be really offended.

"There you are. Good as new. Though if you stare at my boobs next time you come here, I will hospitalize you."

Okay never mind.

With that said, and it being surprisingly intimidating despite her sweet tone (The badly injured fighter behind a curtain probably helped), Kirijo stood up and felt his now cut free face. Shinjiro just shook his head before leading him away.

"You know for someone with such a high reputation, you sure are a perv."

"I resisted in life, but now I'm dead so why not enjoy the view." He proved his point by letting his gaze linger on a passing Beast Master for a few seconds longer than Shinji was comfortable with.

"Look, if you're gonna be part of this team, then the least you can do is stop pissing off your teammates."

"I apologise. I will try to control myself from now on."

Shinjiro accepted this warily. Kirijo seemed like the kind of man who would keep his word. Then again Kirijo didn't seem like the kind of man who'd look up a sleeping girl's skirt. He'd have to keep an eye on him.

* * *

Arriving back at the classroom, the two could both feel an unmistakable tension in the air. Masaru seemed like the world was on his shoulders and Aki looked similarly nervous. Dai and Samantha seemed to be avoiding each other and Juro and Saiduq (Shinjiro would have to ask why he was there and introduce him to Kirijo later) seemed to be trying to keep the two calm. Mei and Agnus seemed to be the only ones who were calm in all this, and that was mostly because it seemed that they either hadn't noticed the tension, or more likely, didn't care.

Shinjiro coughed into his hand and all eyes were soon on him. Deciding to put the awkward feeling aside for now, he instead turned to Masaru. "Have you picked a target yet?"

Quickly rising, Masaru grabbed a file and handed it to Shinjiro. "Her name is Damia, she's a Succubus so we'll have to be extra careful."

"A Succubus?" Shinji asked while opening the file and seeing a picture of a girl with black hair which flowed pat the boundaries of the photo. She had a seductive smile on her face, which bore no flaws. Perhaps what was most noticeable was the horns on her head which were pure white. That or the fact that she seemed to be going to considerable effort to keep her large breasts in the picture.

"A Succubus is a demon of lust. They seduce men, and occasionally women, and turn them into their slaves. Their entire bodies radiate something which makes people see them as objects of desire. You have to be careful or she'll worm her way into your mind and make you hers, forever."

Looking over the file (And ignoring the fact that Kirijo was now looking at the picture of the attractive Demon), Shinjiro looked at the details. According to this, she had been a contestant in the previous 'Academy's hottest' contest and had won. It also stated that she had missed almost all of her classes with the exception of one, How to charm and captivate people. She hadn't missed a single session of this class so if they went after her there, they'd definitely find her.

"This class, when's it next on?"

Masaru checked another file and then glanced at the clock. "Fifteen minutes."

"Okay, we need to go there. Now."

The group nodded and Masaru guided them out of the room. Mei could be heard asking if she could experiment on her after they won but she was once again denied. The only two who hadn't left were Dai and Juro. Dai looked even angrier than he had before. Juro placed his hand on his shoulder. "I know this isn't gonna be easy for you. But we gotta go."

Dai said nothing but left the room anyway. Juro followed him, worried that he'd lose control again.

* * *

The way to the class was cold. Very cold. Ice could be seen all around them and they had to be careful they didn't fall. Juro and Saiduq were shivering and most of the others looked chilly as well. Strangely Kirijo and Aki seemed to be the only ones who weren't affected, despite the latter's chest being exposed, a fact which the others began complaining about.

It was surprisingly quiet on the way there which put the group on edge. They only calmed down when they finally reached the class and looked inside one of the windows. As soon as they did, over half of them ducked down.

They hadn't been expecting Mao to be there.

Pulling the members who were still looking (and were chuckling for some reason) the group began to strategize. "We can't go in there. Mao might attack us and we can't afford to fight his team right now."

"I think I saw Gin in there…" Agnus stated, confusion in his voice.

"Another set of hands would help but right now I'm not taking that chance. We wait till he leaves before we make our move."

The others nodded and they made their way to an alcove in an ice wall and waited with their weapons drawn. After about ten minutes the door opened and Mao rushed out, followed by the trench coat wearing Demon who Juro fought last time, the blue haired man that had bested Masaru and a girl with silverfish white hair who none of them recognised. There were also a bunch of random minions but none of them were important so the group paid no attention to them.

After them came a trio of girls dressed in pink. The first of them was a short girl with bright pink hair and a skull shaped necklace. A book was held tightly in her arm as she walked. Behind her was a girl dressed in an outfit which bore some similarities to Takehisa's. Both were tight outfits with wrappings in place of sleeves and both had a scarf wrapped around their mouths. The main differences were that this outfit was mostly in pink and that it had a front which opened up to reveal a surprisingly large amount of her cleavage. The last girl was dressed in what appeared to be Hakama and Haori, though the latter was open to reveal bandages wrapped tightly around her chest. Like before the outfit had a large amount of pink in it.

The group was surprised to see Gin, still dressed in his black suit run up to them and begin walking with them. He looked completely out of place next to them yet he seemed perfectly happy. They all wondered if one of them was Raspberyl the girl he had gone to rescue, but no one asked, focusing on the mission at hand.

As soon as Gin and the three girls were out of sight, they saw her. Her face was just like in the picture, smooth and with a distinctly lustful expression. She wore a pair of shorts which emphasised her long legs, accompanied with a very small black tank top with white lines specifically placed in places that would make people look at her breasts. A pair of heels were on her feet, even though they never touched the ground, a pair of lack wings making sure of that. A tail darted out from her lower back and flayed around behind her.

No one was denying that she was VERY attractive. Especially not Kirijo, whose brain seemed to have shut off since he started looking at her. A quick smack to the back of the head from Shinji fixed that.

With their target in sight the group leaped down and made a barrier In front of her. She paused at this but instead of looking worried or even annoyed, she gave a very seductive smile at the group. "Oh my. My fan clubs never been this active before. Come to do with me as you wish?"

She flicked her hair as she said this, puffing her chest out in the process. The group didn't move. Instead Shinjiro simply readied his axe, making his intentions known.

"Ohhhhh! I've never had anyone bring one of those before. You must have some… interesting tastes." She leaned forward as she said this, rubbing her hand along her leg while making absolutely certain to lower herself enough to let people see down he tank top.

"Shut up. We're not here to admire you or satisfy your lust. We're here because you're powerful and we need to defeat you."

"Defeat me? That doesn't sound very nice. And I bet that if you do, you'll just do horrible things to me. After all, I'd be completely at you mercy." She said these words with mock fear which soon dissolved back into her usual sultry tone.

Shinjiro was getting sick of this and decided that now was the time to charge her. He quickly closed the distant between them and swung his axe at her. The problem with using a heavy melee weapon against an enemy who could fly however was that they had plenty of time to fly over your attack and counter with a kick to the face. The point tips of her shoes made the kick more painful than it would have been otherwise and Shinji was sent reeling back, clutching his face.

"Did that feel good? I hope so. I just LOVE it rough!"

She was about to bring her heel down on Shinji's skull when a bullet flew past her head. Juro took a brief moment to look at the gun he had just fired before smiling and continuing to fire, clearly happy with the amount of recoil the thing produced. Damia was forced to begin dodging the attacks as he continued firing. The look of pleasure never left her face, in fact the danger seemed to excite her more.

She was so focused on trying to stay out of Juro's line of fire that she didn't see the large angry man running toward her and who she was unwittingly flying closer to. Just as she did notice, Dai jumped towards her and slammed into her with both his weapons. The attacks themselves barely did anything to her but the impact was enough to force her to the ground. He would have attacked her again, this time aiming for her head, if it weren't for her kicking him in the groin and then using those brief seconds of agony to knock him back and get back up.

Before she could resume flight, she found that Aki and Agnus had managed to get over to her and began their own assault, Aki using swift strikes to force her to duck and weave but not giving her the chance to fly, while Agnus made similar strikes with his spear, aiming mostly for her wings. Neither was landing a hit on her and it looked less like she was dodging and more like she was doing a seductive dance. She was clearly loving every second of this fight.

"Ya know, this is fun and all but I can't help but feel like there are too many of you guys. I mean how am I meant to handle all of you? So why don't you cut me a break?" When she finished speaking, there was a quick flash of pink and suddenly Aki and Agnus stopped attacking. Shinji was confused and was about to go over to see what was wrong when Masaru and Mei extended their arms in front of him.

"That flash… That was a Charm spell…"

"And that is?"

"It makes those affected the casters slaves. She's in control of them now."

As if to prove the two of them right, Aki and Agnus turned, revealing that their eyes had a slightly pink hue to them.

"Now you two take care of them and I'll be sure to give you extra special attention." Damia shouted, even though the people she was talking to were right next to her. Both of them suddenly grew maniacal grins and charged their former allies. Rushing forward, Saiduq intercepted Aki and the two began to have a fist fight, both matching the other move for move. Masaru also moved in order to deal with Agnus. He may have been faster than the spear user but Agnus had greater range and was keeping him at a distance. With both of them distracted, Samantha ran past, hoping to take down the Succubus quickly before anyone else got charmed.

Damia however had taken advantage of the distraction and had taken to the air again, making sure to stay out of Samantha's range. "Ooh! I've never had a kitty for a fan before! I'm sure I can arrange some time for you~!"

Samantha was getting frustrated by the flying Demon and was trying to find a way to jump high enough to reach her. However whenever she would come close to doing so, Damia would move and avoid her, forcing her to find some other way to get to her. Damia was enjoying this and probably would have kept doing it for hours, if it weren't for the fact that Juro and Kirijo had reached a good sniping position and were now firing at her, again targeting her wings.

"Now how are you two supposed to join the fun if you're all the way over there?" Before either of them could react, she dived down, narrowly dodging Samantha before soaring back up and latching her hands onto both of their heads…

And burying them in her chest.

Juro was clearly trying to dislodge himself while Kirijo seemed perfectly okay with their current situation. A few seconds later there was another pink flash and Juro's struggles stopped. When she released them, it was clear that they were under her control.

"Now go play with those friends of yours and I'll give you both a treat later~!"

Both nodded and began firing on the rest of the team. Shinjiro and Mei quickly dived under a nearby cliff, preventing the two gunners from attacking them. Samantha was forced to dodge for several minutes and one of Kirijo's bullets grazed her shoulder before she was able to join them. Thankfully Saiduq and Masaru were already out of their field of vision so they could afford to continue their fight. Dai on the other hand was taking quite a few bullets to his legs, his upper body protected by his axe. As soon as he reached the safe area, he collapsed and started clutching his legs.

Damia just watched this all, enjoying the carnage she had just created. "This is so much fun! Such a spectacle of chaos~! I'm feeling so good just watching it! But how about we make things even more fun?"

Deciding that more chaos meant more excitement for her, she soon flew over to where the group was hiding. There she released another burst of pink and waited…

And waited…

Until it became very clear that nothing was happening.

"Oh? That's never happened before…"

The group didn't know what to think but she seemed to have frozen in confusion, which gave Mei enough time to throw her axe at her. The heavy object colliding with her chest wasn't enough to knock Damia out of the sky but it did make her stay still long enough for Dai to force himself to his feet and tackle her again. This time he made sure that she was in no position to hit him in his sensitive parts again and began punching her, his weapons having been dropped when he jumped. Despite the attacks clearly injuring her, they left no sign that they had been there but that was probably due to her Succubus nature.

He probably would have beaten her right there, if Kirijo hadn't been such a good shot and hit him in the side of the head. It wasn't enough to kill him, but it was enough to force him off her, which led to another kick, this time to his chest.

At this point Shinji was sick of waiting and tried to rush Damia again. While he attempted to actually hit her, a task which was proving amazingly difficult despite all the injuries she had already taken, Samantha used the fact that the snipers were focusing on him now to grab Dai and drag him to safe ground before he got shot again. She didn't like him, but she knew that he was useful enough to keep him alive. When she got back, Mei was gone and was nowhere to be seen.

Saiduq had finally made progress in his fight with Aki and had landed a serious punch on his ribcage, leaving him stunned long enough for his attacker to uppercut him in the face and then sweep his legs with one of his own, sending him crashing to the floor.

Masaru had also made progress, managing to get a hold of Agnus' spear and stabbing him in the chest until he passed out of blood loss. With both their charmed allies defeated, the two fighters decided that now was the time to go and help their allies. Saiduq decided to start climbing one of the ice walls so he could hopefully deal with the gunners. Masaru meanwhile began to spin his sword in front of him at such speeds that it blocked out many of the bullets fired at him. Hopefully with this he could cover Shinjiro long enough for Saiduq to do his job.

Juro finally had a good angle and was ready to fire a bullet directly into Shinjiro's head. He was about to pull the trigger when he felt a pair of hands press against his back and push him off his perch. He collided with the ice head first and was rendered unconscious instantly. Mei was pleased with herself for thinking of this but could not enjoy it for long when she felt a bullet enter her leg and Kirijo threw her after the charmed gunner. She managed to land on her side and remained conscious but her injuries prevented her from standing immediately.

To make matters worse, when he threw her off the cliff, Kirijo noticed Saiduq and began firing at him. Because of the surface they were on, the gunfire kept him at a safe distance but also kept Kirijo's fire away from their allies so in a way it was still what he'd set out to do.

With no more gunners to worry about, Masaru stopped spinning his sword and Samantha stopped hiding out of sight and both of them rushed to help Shinjiro. Just as they were about to though, Damia began to talk.

"So many of you! I'm so excited I could just-" Bringing her hands up to her mouth, she closed her eyes and began to shiver. After a second she spread her arms, let out a sound of pure pleasure and released a wave of fire. The blast from the attack knocked Masaru into an ice wall and sent Samantha back to where she had been a few seconds ago. Shinjiro had also been badly burned by the attack and been forced to his knees.

"Well this was fun. But I think it's time we finished off. After all I've got so many more fans to see."

A fire appeared in Damia's hand as she approached, her seductive smile still plastered onto her face. He wanted to get away but he couldn't, his legs were in too much pain to move. All the others were in no state to help him either. He could only think of one way out of this and it was a long shot.

"Kirijo! Why are you listening to her? If you do what she say you'll be trapped here forever!"

Nothing happened. Kirijo didn't even seem to acknowledge that he was being spoken to. Damia was getting closer now, he had to think of something!

"What about Mitsuru?"

Kirijo stopped firing. His gun was still pointed at Saiduq, who had taken the break to stop moving, but he wasn't pulling the trigger anymore.

"I thought that you wanted to get back to her, to save her from what Ikutsuki did!"

Kirijo was shaking now. Memories were starting to fade in through the hypnosis.

" _Father, would you care to fence with me?"_

" _Father, I don't understand this phrase."_

" _I promise I'll find a way to stop the Dark Hour, father."_

" _Father."_

" _Father."_

" _FATHER!"_

He jolted upright when the memory of his final moment entered his minds. How could he have forgotten that? How could he forget that his daughter was in danger right now? Never again. And he proved this point by quickly turning, grabbing Juro's dropped gun and shooting an off guard Damia in the wings, just before she could bring the ball of fire down on Shinji's skull.

For the first time, one of the attacks did some lasting damage and the Succubus was forced to grab her wings in pain. The moment she did this though, she had lost. For seeing his chance, Saiduq dived from his position, landed in front of her and punched her straight in the stomach before hitting her in the back of the head with his shoulder sending her right in to the path of Shinji as he forced himself up, hitting her in the nose with his head. This plus all her other injuries proved too much for her and she collapsed to the floor.

Everyone who was till conscious let out a sigh of relief when she finally stopped moving. That fight had been too long for comfort and now they just wanted to get out of there.

Dragging the unconscious behind them, the remaining teammates soon found themselves at the Dimension gate. One by one they went in until it was only Shinjiro and Kirijo left. "I want to thank you Aragaki."

"Huh?"

"You brought me to my senses, reminded me what I need to do. Thank you."

"Yeah well, thanks for saving my life. Though next time try not to get seduced by the enemy."

"That sounds like a fair deal."

With thanks said, both stepped through the portal and quickly made their way to the infirmary. It had been one of their harder battles today but they had somehow prevailed. And all but one of them hoped for something that day.

" _I hope I never fight a Succubus again."_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damia is property of Mossnose. Here is her character sheet:
> 
> Damia  
> Title: Dark Beauty Queen  
> Voice: Erin Fitzgerald  
> Weapon: Monster type  
> Skills: All Succubus skills in Disgaea 4  
> She's Got Legs (Damia lifts her leg up high and slams her opponent's head into the ground with it) Description: And she knows how to use them! Range: 1  
> Black Dahlia (Damia covers the field in darkness, reappears in the middle of the crowd of opponents in a sexy pose, then unleashes a powerful spinning kick) Description: I wish I could have just quit you... Range: 6 (rectangle formation directly in front, two-by-three)  
> Evil Angel (Damia rises into the sky, silhouetted against the full moon, before dropping and landing hard on her feet, causing a powerful quake) Description: She's not gonna be your savior! Range: 9 (square formation)  
> Appearance: Like most Succubi, Damia has large black wings, horns, a tail with a heart-shaped tip, and little clothing. All she wears is a small black tank top with a pair of white strips to accent her curves and shorts. Also like most Succubi, her chest is very... pronounced. Her hair is long and black, all down her back, and she wears heels to make her kicks much more pronounced.  
> Description: Damia is a tease above all else. As a Succubus, she uses her body to get her way most of the time, but that doesn't mean she can't take care of herself. She's all about fun, and gets interested if it seems like a man can resist her charms. Sometimes she'll tease girls with smaller chests than hers, but she does it purely to watch their reactions, with no ill will behind her taunts. She doesn't tend to take anything too seriously, and doesn't mind failure as long as she had fun doing it. On the rare occasion that she does take something seriously, she is surprisingly competent and serious. Her reputation as an honor student is a little shaky due to her being at the top of the seduction class, the only class she attends.  
> Evility: Sexy Thing: (Chance of critical hits increased by 25% if opponent is male)


	20. Chapter 19 – Prince of Lies

**Chapter 19 – Prince of Lies**

* * *

It took a very long time for Matildo to heal all their wounds. Shinjiro needed even more attention than the others because of how badly burned he had been and for the badly broken nose Damia had given him. Looking over his injuries in their entirety made the others wonder how he was still conscious, let alone just sitting there like this was all perfectly normal.

During this time, Dai approached Samantha, an annoyed expression on his face. "Look I know what you did for me back there and… Thanks. Maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe. This doesn't mean we're friends though!"

And with that he turned away. Samantha also turned away before muttering, "I'll take it for now but you still gotta make it up to me."

When the others had finished being treated, Mei was approached by a Prinny, though it was not a normal one. This Prinny was black and wore a black and white stripped ribbon around its neck. It looked up at Mei and gave a salute before speaking in a younger, more effeminate voice than most Prinnys. "Mei-sama. We would like to report that another Human has been spotted."

This caught everyone's attention and soon all eyes were on the Prinny. Mei was the first to ask the obvious question. "Where?"

"According to the reports from the other Prinnys, a Human male was spotted lurking around the entrance to the Overlord's castle."

Shinjiro contemplated this information. Another Human who also seemed to have his eyes set on the Overlord. Who could it be? Whoever it was though, Shinji had to find him.

"As soon as my wounds are healed, we move out."

The others nodded before leaving to check on equipment and skills they could get. Kirijo and Masaru stayed with Shinji though.

"How many Humans are going to show up here?"

"Beats me. All I know is we gotta find this guy, he might be our ally."

Kirijo remained silent throughout this. He had started thinking ever since they came up with their theory on how they got here. If that was true then maybe…

No. They would check first. He couldn't risk losing an ally just because of his suspicions. And besides, if it was him, he'd be sure to send him to Hell this time.

* * *

The group all met up outside the Dimension Gate. Exchanging new items amongst themselves, everyone listened as Agnus began talking. "The Overlord's castle is well guarded, everyone be careful."

"He's right. We're not strong enough to take on the Overlord yet and his servants will probably be more dangerous than most of the things we've fought. We find this other Human, and then we get out of there." Masaru stated, not bothering to hide the fact that he thought this was a bad idea.

"Yeah, I see where you're coming from with that." Saiduq stated, looking nervous for the first time. Aki turned to face him.

"So you're joining us again?"

"Yeah, that last fight was fun so I figured I'd help out again. Though I expect payment next time."

"If you're done talking, let's move." Nobody argued with Shinjiro and instead followed, some nervous that they were heading somewhere so dangerous, some determined to find this other Human in spite of the danger and Mei excited at the idea of taking on the Overlord's servants (and dissecting them).

After making their way through the portal, the group found themselves in front of a stone staircase. There were balconies on either side of the stairs, each concealing at least three doors. and a large door at the top of the steps. Apart from this, the area was empty and if anything, that just made everyone more nervous.

"You don't think he's inside do you?" Aki asked no one in particular.

"If he is, it's not worth the risk." Juro stated, holstering his gun and turning back to the portal. He stopped when he heard something, something the entire group was now trying to find the source of.

It sounded like someone muttering something, though just what was being said was a mystery.

"The Hell is that?" Dai wondered out loud. Everyone else was wondering about it as well. Finally something clicked in Mei's head.

"It's a high level spell! Everyone run!"

This warning came at just the right moment for the group to dodge a pillar of fire rising from beneath their feet. Landing on his feet, Agnus spotted a man in a red robe and a face concealing hood. Even with most of his face shrouded in shadows, it was clear that he was smiling. Just before Agnus could alert the others, the man seemed to burst into flames and vanish.

After three minutes of silence and darting eyes, the group returned to the centre of the area to discuss what happened. "Everyone okay?"

Everyone nodded at Shinji, all looking somewhat worried about what had just happened. The silence was heavy, everyone thinking the same thing, but none of them bringing themselves to say it. Eventually Shinjiro decided to give his orders.

Before he could however, they heard a yell come from behind the doors at the top of the stairs. Wasting no time, Shinji ran to them, the others reluctantly following. Throwing the doors open, they looked for the source of the sound. In the distance they could just see a man who was yelling and flailing his arms around in anger.

"I was so close! Why? Why did I have to die now? Why why why why why?"

To most of the people there, the voice was unknown but to Shinjiro and Kirijo, it was all too familiar. Kirijo wasted no time pulling out his gun and advancing on the man, who was too busy yelling to notice them. Shinjiro also approached albeit at a slower pace. Finally Kirijo reached the yelling man, who finally noticed him, and raised his gun.

"Ikutsuki."

"You?" Ikutsuki glared at the suit wearing man. "You're the reason I'm here!"

"I could say the same to you. You shot me too remember?"

Despite his anger, a sick smile crawled onto Ikutsuki's face. "Well at least I know that you failed! I may be dead, but the Fall will still come to pass!"

"This 'Fall', is it truly the end of all?"

Ikutsuki didn't answer but his growing smile was answer enough. Kirijo had done well to remain calm so far, but he had finally reached his limit. Without a second hesitation, he shot Ikutsuki right between the eyes. The glasses wearing man collapsed to the floor just as the others reached him.

"Why did you do that?" Aki yelled, having not heard their conversation.

"Because he killed me, and endangered my daughter's life. Is that enough reason for you?" Kirijo replied calmly, as if he hadn't just shot a man in the face.

"Umm, well… I guess that's a good reason…"

"Glad you agree."

Shinjiro stared down at the face of the man he once took orders from. To be honest, he had never liked the man. He always seemed too enthusiastic about their circumstances. The only reason he followed him at all was because it was what Akihiko and Mitsuru had done. But despite this, he never thought the guy would go so far as to try and start the Apocalypse. It sickened him that he had followed his word, even for such a brief period of time.

With the man they had come for dead, Shinjiro turned and started to leave, the others doing the same, except Kirijo and Mei.

"Can I dissect him? I really want to know what Humans look like inside."

Kirijo said nothing but gave a gesture that implied he approved. Shinjiro also made no effort to stop her, and they both knew he had heard her. Drawing a scalpel, she approached the corpse of the former SEES advisor and prepared to cut into him.

She was caught off guard by a sudden force slamming into her side and sending her to the ground. Kirijo, hearing the sound turned just in time to be shot in the leg.

"It's amazing how my body can take so much more damage in this world isn't it?" Ikutsuki said while jumping to his feet, blood still pouring out of his forehead. The others all approached with their weapons ready. Despite being outnumbered and with a large amount of weapons pointed at him, Ikutsuki looked confident and was actually starting to freak some of the team out with his demented face and the look in his eyes that gave the impression that he knew what he was doing. Mei and Kirijo recovered and joined their allies in surrounding the somehow not dead man.

"Well? Why are you just standing there? I'm right here. You outnumber me. Surely you can kill me right here. What are you waiting for?"

Saiduq didn't know who this man was, but he was starting to annoy him, so he did what he always did for things that annoyed him. He attacked it. Ordinarily this would have been enough to punch the glasses wearing man's head clean off. The only thing stopping that from happening was the fact that just before he could strike, Saiduq was hit with nine arrows to various parts of his body and he was sent collapsing to the ground. Suddenly worried, the others all began darting back as more arrows began to fly around them, all missing Ikutsuki of course.

When each of them reached safe grounds, Ikutsuki started to laugh. "That was even easier than I thought. You've really lost your edge Aragaki-kun!"

"I'm not done yet!" Shinji yelled, running from his cover, strategically located behind Ikutsuki, and began dodging arrows as he approached his enemy.

"IKUTSUKI!"


	21. Chapter 20 – Wrath of the Moon

**Chapter 20 – Wrath of the Moon**

* * *

Ikutsuki made no effort to run, he was content just standing there looking smug. Shinjiro would reach him in only a few seconds and when he did he wouldn't hold back. The archers hiding in the shadows must have known this as they released a second volley of arrows at the running man. Fortunately for Shinji, Mei had used the trajectory of the arrows used to hit Saiduq to figure out where they were coming from and had told the others. With this information, Samantha was able to stop six of the nine arrows, one with each hand, one with each foot and even catching one with her tail and one with her teeth. Aki blocked the remaining three but since he lacked Samantha's grace, he instead just used his body as a shield, taking a serious injury to his shoulder in the process.

Shinji was thankful for their help, but couldn't afford to stop and help. He had to deal with Ikutsuki first. He reached the grinning man and without missing a beat swung his axe down, hoping to cleave the liars head in two with a single strike. Sadly Ikutsuki was a lot more nimble than he appeared and performed a backflip to dodge the attack. "Why are you so angry Aragaki-kun? After all, now no one will feel sorrow or guilt at the end. They will embrace it, just as you did."

Ikutsuki's tone made it impossible to tell if he honestly meant what he said or if he was just saying it to piss him off. The effect however was the same, namely that of Shinjiro attempting to slam his shoulder into the glasses wearing man, which was easily avoided with a back step, followed with an upward diagonal swing of his axe, which was more narrowly avoided by Ikutsuki entering what looked like a limbo stance.

While Shinjiro continued to attack his enemy, Mei decided to lead the others to where the arrows were coming from, with the exception of Dai and Agnus who stayed to pull Saiduq behind cover and remove the arrows from him. "If I'm right, they're just a bit higher."

The group was climbing to reach their opponents, who had picked the most annoyingly high place imaginable. Surprisingly while all the others were progressing at a fairly slow pace, Juro was climbing incredibly fast. The others assumed that this was because of his long, thin arms and legs making it easier for him to reach places to put his hands and feet and less likely to slip off them. At this rate he'd reach the first archers platform in less than a minute while the rest of them would take at least three.

With help from the others, Saiduq pulled the last arrow out of his chest and discarded it. Looking out from behind the statue they were hiding behind, he surveyed the battle. Shinjiro was still trying to hit Ikutsuki while Samantha and Aki were still blocking any arrows from hitting him and, whether intentionally or by accident, where providing a distraction for the other members of the team. Thinking quickly, he turned to the other two. "They need our help. Anyone got any ideas?"

Agnus seemed to have something. "Dai, use you're axe like a shield to block those arrows. Tell Aki to go help the others! I'll try to help Shinjiro! Saiduq… do whatever you think's best!"

Neither of them objected and Dai ran from behind the statue towards the others, making sure to hold his axe in front of himself. Saiduq also ran in that direction and joined in on trying to catch the arrows, which he was less skilled at than Samantha. With both of them gone, Agnus vaulted over the statue and made a rush for Ikutsuki. Hopefully his attention was drawn more to Shinjiro and he could take him off guard and end the fight quickly. This hope was unfortunately shattered when Ikutsuki turned his head slightly, gazing at him with a sinister smile and the light reflecting off his glasses to obscure his eyes. Before Agnus could react, Ikutsuki raised his gun and shot him in the forehead. It wasn't enough to kill the Demon or even knock him out, but it did disorient him and sent him to the ground, his vision spinning.

"Don't interrupt. This is between me and Aragaki-kun." Ikutsuki said, still dodging Shinji's attacks as he did. "Though to be honest this is getting pretty boring. Have you lost your edge in death?"

Shinjiro didn't answer with words, instead just beginning to swing faster. Even now though, he couldn't hit. Was Ikutsuki always this dangerous? Did something happen to him since he got here? Why couldn't Shinji hit him?

The other group was also dealing with their own questions. Specifically, why had Juro kept climbing when he reached the first archer? He didn't even attempt to deal with the guy, who hadn't noticed him. Instead he just kept climbing, even faster than before. To make up for this, Masaru doubled his efforts and soon reached the platform. Unlike with Juro, he was spotted and the archer quickly changed his target to him. His reflexes were just fast enough to draw his sword and, barely, deflect the arrow away. While narrowly dodging and blocking arrows, he called back to the others, "I got this one. Keep going!"

The others obliged and kept climbing, the sight of Masaru getting gradually closer to the enemy archer ignored for the sake of their mission.

Dai, Samantha and Saiduq were busy blocking and catching the arrows and were quickly getting tired and injured. They had sent Aki to go help Agnus then to help the others while they dealt with this. Samantha was doing the best out of the three of them, but she couldn't keep this up for much longer. The loss of one of their attackers was good but they were still in serious trouble.

Saiduq was in bad shape, he'd already taken nine arrows and now he was getting hit with even more every so often. It was only a matter of time before one hit his leg, which had already been injured in the first volley, and sent him crashing to the ground. Not thinking straight, Samantha got closer to him to try to cover him. This was a poor choice as it made her lose focus on where the arrows were coming from and one was soon coming straight towards her head and she had no way to block it.

Surprisingly, it was Dai who saved her, diving in front of her with his axe held at just the right height to block the arrow. She hadn't expected him to ever even attempt to save her and she wasn't sure how to feel now that he had. Without even turning his head, Dai muttered, "We're even now."

Even though he couldn't see her, she nodded before pulling the arrow out of Saiduq's leg. He wouldn't be able to stand for a little so Dai would have to stay there to cover him. With this thought in her mind, Samantha ran out from behind Dai's makeshift shield and resumed catching the arrows aimed at Shinji.

Speaking of Shinji, he was getting more and more frustrated. No matter what he did Ikutsuki would just keep dodging. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that the glasses wearing man didn't seem to be getting tired and wouldn't. Shut. Up.

"I'm amazed you have so many allies Aragaki-kun. You never struck me as a team player."

This was REALLY annoying now. If he didn't hit the bastard soon, he was just going to tackle him and see if that shut him up.

"Why aren't you using it?"

That statement just confused him. Use what?

"Did you lose it when you died? Do you not want to use? Or maybe you're afraid that without those pills, you'll kill again?"

Realization shone in Shinjiro's eyes. He meant his Persona. Would that help him? Probably but, while he hated to admit it, Ikutsuki was right. Ever since he died he'd been afraid of using Castor. Without the pills, could he control it? And even so, he felt his connection to the Persona was weaker than before. It became stronger after he used it against Mao but now it was fading again. Would Castor even show up this time?

All these thoughts were plaguing his mind. He couldn't think straight. And that's exactly what Ikutsuki wanted. When Shinjiro's attacks slowed down, he raised his gun and fired three point blank shots into Shinjiro's chest. Each one hurt like Hell and the vest didn't do anything to stop them from entering his body. He was soon sent crashing to the ground, his axe falling from his hand. With the same smug look on his face, Ikutsuki walked over and kicked the axe away from him before pointing his gun at the Shinji's head.

"You should feel honoured Aragaki-kun. Most people don't get to die twice."

"I can't… die here…" he rasped as he felt blood rise up his throat, an unfortunately familiar feeling.

"Why? What makes you wish to keep fighting? Isn't a peaceful death preferable to suffering?"

"Death isn't the answer. What the world needs… is someone to end the suffering! They knew that… And they were right."

"Who? You're former teammates? Those foolish children who didn't know the hardships of the world! They prolong Humanities suffering! I seek to end it! I am the one who truly cares for the world! More than SEES! More than Kirijo! And definitely more than that girl!"

Confusion flashed across Shinji's face at that last comment. Ikutsuki noticed and continued, his face dropping slightly as if simply remembering was annoying. "Most of SEES were content to simply yell when they learned what I had planned. But the Arisato girl… she said the same thing to me that you just did. She wished to let so many suffer because she was afraid to die."

This last comment was accompanied by him pressing his foot to Shinjiro's wound, sending agony through his entire body, while removing his Evoker from its holster. "She was even able to turn Aigis against me! It was her fault I lost! I was going to end all suffering and that… that bitch cost me my life! Well now I have a second chance! I'll return and become the Prince that will guide the new world to prosperity! But I'm afraid you have to die before that can happen."

Pulling back the hammer of the gun, Ikutsuki was ready to take his shot. With his foot still planted squarely on Shinji's chest, there was no way to avoid the inevitable shot. It was just a matter of time before it entered his brain and ended his life for the second time. But Shinji didn't care. He was flailing his arms and legs around, not trying to get free, just so he could get close enough to rip this bastards head off. Shinji had stopped listening around the point that he insulted Hamuko. Even if he hadn't already doomed the world, Shinjiro would have killed him simply for what he said about her.

Sadly, even with all his thrashing, he couldn't get free. He was too injured to force Ikutsuki's foot off and the act of trying just made his enemy laugh at how weak he looked. The laughter ended though when both men heard what could only be described as a war cry. Ikutsuki turned and quickly dodged to avoid getting a hole punched in his chest by Aki. He had just finished forcing a healing item down Agnus' throat and saw that Shinji was in trouble. He wasted no time in rushing to his aid and had gotten there just in time. Now that he had launched his first attack, he was persistent not to let Ikutsuki get a chance to fight back and continued with a series of rapid kicks and punches, none of them connecting but all of them forcing the treacherous man back.

While he was doing that, Agnus, who was still sporting a small hole in his forehead, was helping Shinjiro to his feet. The bleeding was bad and his body wasn't as strong as his Demonic friends. If they didn't do something soon, he would die. Agnus was persistent to get him to cover and give him some simple first aid to stop the bleeding. He couldn't understand why Shinji was struggling against him.

Shinji was too angry to give up, too determined to see this man die. Somehow he was able to force his arm free from its place around Agnus' shoulders and he stumbled away from the Demon. Taking slow, pain filled steps, he approached Ikutsuki, who was too focused on Aki to notice he'd gotten up.

"Ikutsuki…" He said faintly, his voice so quiet that only he could hear it. Agnus once again tried to grad Shinji's arm and get him too safety but recoiled. He looked at his hand in shock. Had touching Shinjiro just burned him?

"Ikutsuki." Shinjiro said again, loud enough for Agnus to hear him. But the word didn't register in his mind, as he was distracted by something. To his knowledge, Shinjiro had no access to wind magic. So then why was wind starting to build up around him?

"Ikutsuki!" This time both Ikutsuki and Aki noticed him. Both stopped their battle when they saw him. Beneath his feet was a glowing blue circle, the light seemingly fixing his wounds.

"IKUTSUKI!" He yelled one final time. Now all eyes were on him. The archers fired at him, but none of their shots pierced the magic circle. Ikutsuki tried the same but, again, it did nothing. Then all their eyes widened as something floated in front of Shinjiro. A card glowing the same shade of blue as the circle beneath his feat. With the knowledge of what to do seemingly just appearing in his mind, Shinjiro raised his hand around the card.

"CASTOR, END THIS!" He roared, crushing the card in his palm as he did. Everyone was blinded by light as the horse riding Persona emerged from Shinjiro's body, looking bigger than it had ever before and radiating power. Again the archers fired at the beast but the Persona didn't even acknowledge that the arrows existed. None pierced it and it prepared to attack.

Ikutsuki was worried. He had seen the power a Persona possessed and no matter how strong his new body was, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of one's attack. He looked desperately for a way out. There had to be a way!

Aki meanwhile took this chance to slip away from him. Like ikutsuki, he had also seen what this thing could do and it was smaller back then and not giving off the same 'I could destroy everything in a ten mile radius' aura that it was not. He figured it was best to grab Agnus and then do what Dai, Saiduq and Samantha had already done. Hide.

And he picked wisely as Castor soon rose into the air with great speed before falling even faster and slamming straight into Ikutsuki. The injury was severe and the suit wearing man became covered in serious looking injuries before Castor picked up his body and threw it into a nearby abyss, it slamming into a wall before dropping down.

The archers witnessed this and their leader gave the order to retreat just as Juro reached him, the two noticed each other and the archer gave a sinister smile before some sort of spell caused him and his subordinates to vanish.

With all the threats gone, Shinjiro forced Castor back inside him. The others were about to rush over to him when suddenly his face contorted in pain. He clutched his sides and sank to his knees. The others ran faster to get to him.

"NO! Stay back!" He yelled through gritted teeth. Looking closely, Aki noticed that along with the pain was a look of absolute focus on Shinji's face, as if he was struggling with something.

And that's exactly what he was doing. His anger and determination may have made Castor stronger but it had also made it crave blood. He was having to focus with all his being to keep it under control. But it was a losing battle. Castor was re-emerging, slowly and began lashing out in all directions.

" _Dammit! It's happening again! I won't let it… I won't let you kill again!"_

Desperation was pouring through his veins. He needed to find a way to stop this. As he tried, memories came flooding in of the last time it happened. That night he took someone's life and ruined the life of another. He always felt the guilt of it, how he had killed someone in that alley. It was only fitting that he died there too…

" _S-shiji!"_

His eyes snapped open as another memory entered his mind. Her face. And she was crying, begging for him not to go. She saw good in him. She wanted him to live. She had given her love to him and then he let himself die.

He would not fail her again.

Slowly Castor began to retract into his body.

" _Don't cry…"_

He made her cry, he needed to fix that.

" _This is how… it should be…"_

NO! He thought it was but now he knew he was wrong!

"Castor! You won't…. hurt anyone else…! You… will not… make her cry!"

And with that roar, he forced Castor back into his soul and passed out.

The others all gathered around him and the ones in the best health picked him up and carried him back to the portal.

None of them noticed a gentle smile on his face. His soul was enjoying a moment of peace and a fond memory of a girl whose smile he would see again one day.


	22. Chapter 21 – Clashing Soul

**Chapter 21 – Clashing Soul**

* * *

It hadn't been a long walk to see Matildo and get healed, but the silence made it seem longer. Most of the group had never seen a Persona before and the ones which had been fortunate enough to see one had never gazed on one as powerful as Castor. They were all left in wonder at its power. Though none would admit that it scared them a little. It was clearly unstable, as proven by how it lashed out at them, its master's allies. What if this happened again and he couldn't control it? None wanted to think about it.

Some of them had different thoughts to the others though. Aki couldn't help but feel a little weaker than he had before. He was strong but then this Human summons something that emitted so much power that he could feel it in his soul. What allowed him to draw on such strength? Could he call the same strength one day?

Masaru's mind was already flooding with possibilities. That power could be just what he needed. One fact about him that most people didn't realise was that his mind never slowed down. He was always running strategies and numbers through his head, analysing and evaluating. He was currently checking how Castor would work for his goals. Sadly no matter how many times he checked it, it still came up at 50% completion of his task, at best. Maybe if he could find out how Shinjiro could summon it then he could do the same. Then…

Surprisingly, Dai was the most sympathetic to what Shinji was going through. After all, he knew what it was like to struggle to keep control over part of your own being. Shinji had been strong, but he knew from experience that that kind of inner conflict never really stops. He hoped that Shinji could handle it.

Mei was, of course, contemplating whether it was possible to dissect a Persona to see how they work. And in case that didn't work, she could always dissect Shinjiro and see if there were any changes to his biology because of the Persona. Then again, she'd need a normal Human for comparison. She'd just have to dissect Kirijo before then. Or after, it didn't really matter as long as she got results.

Agnus was angry and insecure. Not only had he been useless in that fight, but he had been beaten AND saved by Humans! He was a Demon! He shouldn't be losing to Humans, let alone need saving by them! But that's how it had always been… It was Humans who kept him safe while he was too young to defend himself, and a Human who was the reason he was even here. Maybe Humans were stronger than him. Maybe they always will be…

For the most part, the others were just content with thinking about how powerful the Persona had been and how dangerous it seemed and how badass Shinji looked when he summoned it. One of them however had pushed all thoughts of the horse riding apparition from his mind. Juro had been walking at the back for quite some time and made no efforts to catch up to the others. He was focused only on one thing, the archer's leader. He recognised the man, and it was clear that he too was recognised. It was him, no doubt about it. And if he was at the Academy then… Juro would have to act fast. This man only ever brought pain and suffering with him and he would inflict both of them fast and with style. All while bearing that sinister grin. After all, he wasn't called the Grinning Reaper for nothing. Juro had to stop him. He just had too.

These thoughts would probably have continued for hours, if something hadn't caught their attentions.

* * *

Shinjiro didn't know where he was. Not that he really knew where he was before but now he didn't even seem to be in the Academy. Instead he was in a void of some sort, the only feature being the strange circular platform he was standing on. Four pillars emerged from the platform and suspended a roof above him. There was literally nothing else for as far as he could see.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He called into the darkness. Almost immediately he got an answer, coming from much closer than he expected.

"Geez. You don't have to shout…" Replied a familiar voice. How familiar?

It was his own.

Whirling around, Shinjiro saw a figure leaning against one of the pillars. The man seemed to have appeared out of thin air. The most striking thing about the man was his appearance though. He was dressed in what appeared to be a black one piece suit with a bulletproof vest over it. A white mask covered his face while long blonde hair poured down his back. Alarmingly there was the broken head of a spear sticking out of his chest.

Shinji could recognise this man in a heartbeat. His guardian and his prisoner. The cause of all his suffering for the past few years and the one who guided him to his greatest joy. The other side of his soul.

Castor.

While Shinjiro got over his shock, Castor pushed himself upright and walked up to him, the two being the same height in this realm. He got close enough that the spearhead pressed against Shinji's chest. His mask hid all his emotions and his eyes were hidden in shadows. Then he continued talking.

"Why'd you stop me?"

"What?"

"You stopped me! I could have done so much, but you held me back! You forced me back to sleep after I was finally awake! Why?" His voice was angry, as if he'd been holding in all his aggression and was releasing it all at once.

"You were going to kill someone again!"

"Why should I care? Who cared about you? No one! You're an orphan who loved to pick fights, and whose only friend cared more about his own strength and guilt than on whether you were in pain! Ikutsuki used you for his own goals and most of SEES was too intimidated by you to really care! You shouldn't care if they die! Because they didn't care when you did!"

Most people when faced with an aspect of themselves that acted this way, they either embraced it and lived a life of violence and destruction or would reject it in horror that something like this could exist inside themselves. Shinjiro however was not most people. He knew that this was a part of him but he didn't want to accept what it said. So what did he do?

He punched Castor. Hard.

The Persona recovered almost immediately and struck its own fighting stance, this one somewhat different from Shinji's own. While Shinji used a stance similar to Akihiko's boxing pose, Castor crouched slightly and extended both arms, like he was a wrestler waiting to grab his opponent.

"I get it." Shinji said clearly, his hands never leaving their position in front of his face.

"What?"

"I gotta thank you for letting me know. I might never have figured it out if you hadn't started talking."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're a part of me. That much is obvious. But now I know why I could never control you. Because deep down, I've always been angry at the world. At everyone and everything. But I tried to hide it, stay calm and just get through life. You got all that anger and hatred that I was suppressing. And if I wasn't careful, you'd let it out on everyone. That's what you are."

"You got a problem with that? Yeah, I got your anger! But you won't let me get rid of it. Anger doesn't just go away! It has to go somewhere!"

"I know. That's why we're here."

Before either could speak again, Shinji lunged forward and narrowly missed hitting Castor a second time.

"I gave you all my anger! Now you can give it all back!"

Castor recoiled slightly at this. Of all the things for his other self to do, that was not the one he had expected. A chance to let out all that anger without harming anyone? That's an interesting solution…

"You should know that if I killed you here, you'd die in the real world too."

Shinji didn't answer. Instead he just held out his hand and made a gesture which Castor could only interpret one way.

_Bring it!_

No more words needed to be said. The battle between man and mask had begun.


	23. Chapter 22 – Man or Mask?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personally, I think you should play "I'll Face Myself" during this chapter.

**Chapter 22 – Man or Mask?**

* * *

One problem with facing yourself is that you and your opponent will, for the most part, use the same moves as you, in the same situations as you would. This fight started with an incident like this, ass both Shinjiro and Castor raised their right fists and jabbed it into each other's faces. Both recoiled immediately at this but wasted no time raising their left legs and kicking each other in the sides. Again both recoiled and took a few steps back from each other.

The two combatants stared at each other, both strategizing on what the other would do. Both men figured out that they should expect a right punch aimed at their stomach, so they should dodge to their right and counter with an elbow to the back of the head. Both charged and readied to execute their strategy. Castor was caught off guard when, after he dodged, Shinji shifted his body and jabbed him in the gut with his left elbow, knocking the wind out of him.

After catching his breath, Castor looked up, anger flaring through him. Standing before him was Shinjiro, his stance firm and his expression determined. Seeing him this calm just made Castor angrier and he soon charged again.

This wasn't good for Shinji. Before Castor had been calm enough to plan his actions and, since they were the same, Shinji could counter them. Now Castor was acting irrationally, he could do anything. He'd have to think fast if he wanted to win. Like how he raised his arms to stop Castor from delivering a powerful strike to his face. His arms absorbed the attack but it still hurt like Hell and forced him back a few inches. He would have countered if Castor hadn't immediately spun around and brought his leg to Shinji's arms again. This time there was enough force to knock Shinji on to his back.

Since he hit his head when he landed, he was disoriented for a second and almost didn't see Castor about to body slam him. With barely a second to react, he rolled to his right and narrowly avoided being crushed by the Persona's muscular form. Wasting no time, he rose to his feet and kicked Castor in the face before he could react. This kept the Persona down for a few more seconds.

This was Shinji's chance for a counterattack and he wasn't going to waste it. He proceeded to tackle the masked man and the two were sent rolling towards the edge of the platform they were on. If he had bothered to look down, he probably would have frozen up. There was no end to the void in sight, maybe it had no end. He didn't notice it though. All that mattered was this fight. With Castor pinned beneath him, he grabbed the back of his head with one hand and began pummelling it with the other.

He landed about ten punches before Castor caught his hand and began squeezing it. The grip was like a vice and Shinji could feel the bones in his hand snapping. The pain flowed throughout his body and flooded his mind, and that was all Castor needed. With a shift of his body and a great push, Castor forced Shinji off the edge of the platform, his hand still wrapped firmly around Shinji's broken one.

"How does it feel to be so close to death?" The Persona asked, the words barely registering in the young man's mind. Still he heard them, and he had enough strength to respond.

"What'll happen to you if I die?" He rasped, pain still being the most pressing matter to him.

"I'll return to the realm of the unconscious and find a new host. One who won't deny himself as you have." He squeezed Shinjiro's hand harder as he said this, concern for his other side gone.

"Tell me, will my anger travel with you?"

"Like I said, anger doesn't just fade. I'll release it all. I guess it'll just have to be with another host!"

"No! It's my anger! You'll release it all now! I won't have you risking others because of me!"

The Persona roared with laughter at this. For a second it looked like he'd laugh so hard he'd drop his other side, but his grip stayed firm.

"Oh that is rich! You caring about others? What a load of bullshit! You don't care about them, you never did! They were so annoying to you that sometimes you wished they'd all just go away!"

"No. I never-"

"Cut the crap! You hated the world because you knew it hated you. Why else would you be an orphan? Because no one could save your parents. Why did Miki die? Because no one gave a crap about preventing that fire. Why do you live on the streets half the time? Because no one will take someone with a face like yours! The world hated you. So why shouldn't you hate it right back?"

Before Shinjiro had stayed strong in the face of Castor's accusations, but now it was getting under his skin. All his questions were piercing the shell he'd made around himself and making him wonder.

_Is this what I really feel?_

But no matter what, there was one flaw with its accusations. One thing that proved that he still cared about something in this world. Something that nothing this creature said could take away.

He was a member of SEES. They were the closest thing he had to a family, albeit a strange, distant one, but a family none the less. And right now they were in trouble, and he'd rather face Mao, his teammates, Damia and the Overlord armed only with his bare hands than leave them in danger.

"You may be me, but even you don't understand. I swore that no one else would die by my hand. And if I give up here and they die because I wasn't there to protect them, then it's as good as killing them myself! I am a member of SEES! And I won't abandon them again!"

Castor seemed amused by this answer, letting out a light chuckle. "And what if they die before you get to them? What if they don't make it here like you did? What then?"

"Don't know. Cause I'll be done before that happens!"

"HA! And how will you do that? I just have to loosen my fingers a little and you plummet to your death!"

Shinji didn't speak. Instead he did something which truly confused the Persona. He smiled. He smiled with pure confidence. That determined look in his eyes was perhaps the scariest thing the being had ever witnessed as it screamed one thing and one thing alone.

_I will win. You will die._

And before he could wonder how Shinji could feel that, the beanie wearing man raised his legs and pushed against the platform, the force from this being strong enough to drag Castor off and sending them both plummeting into the abyss.

Shinji didn't give Castor a chance to recover from his shock as he soon grabbed the mask wearing Persona and slammed him into the column, which continued to stretch on forever. The impact broke the surface of the pillar and created a trench as Castor's face continued to slam into the thick concrete. After twenty painful seconds, Castor pushed off and sent Shinji flying further into the abyss. Seeing his host defenceless and too angry to try to prevent his own fall, Castor brought his arms and legs together to make his body more streamlined, increasing the speed of his decent.

He just caught Shinji smile before he felt a beanie clad forehead slam into his masked face. Even though he had gravity on his side, stronger facial protection and gravity on his side, Castor found himself easily sent back by the attack. To make matters worse, the impact, combined with the damage it had already suffered, caused his mask to explode. Underneath it was Shinjiro's own face, albeit with a pair of sinister yellow eyes. He was currently scowling, a mix of anger and pain flashing across his face.

Castor was able to glance over to where his enemy was and couldn't believe what he saw. Not only was Shinjiro engulfed in blue light but he seemed to be defying gravity and flying straight towards him. He raised his arms to defend himself but Shinji punched so hard that they were forced apart. With nothing stopping him, he then punched Castor in the chest so hard that not only did the front of his vest shatter, but the back of it exploded from the force.

Then, with all the force he could muster, Shinji propelled his arm up and struck Castor in the chin so hard, that the doppelganger was sent flying all the way back to the platform they had originally been fighting on. He struggled to get up, but stopped when he saw Shinji effortlessly float up and approach him, that same determined gleam in his eye.

"Feel better?"

"No, actually I feel like shit." Castor responded, his tone calm despite his words. To further contrast what he said, there was a smile on his lips, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Seeing this, Shinji also smiled and offered his hand to the Persona, who looked like he'd just been through Hell, something Shinjiro could sympathise with. Accepting it, Castor found himself dragged to his feet and pulled into a very unexpected hug.

"All this time I blamed you for what happened. But it was my anger that drove you to do it. You were right, I did hate the world. I wanted it all to go away! But they gave me reason to live."

He pulled away and looked the surprised Castor in the eyes, his own eyes shining with a sad sincerity. "So please, help me save them. Help me save my reason for existence."

Castor stared for a few seconds before his lips began to tug upwards and he chuckled slightly. "Of course. We all need our reason, let's save yours together."

Taking a deep breath, Shinji gave Castor a frim stare. "I am Shinjiro Aragaki, Persona user, member of SEES, and leader of this group of Demons. And you are me."

With this said, Castor closed his eyes, his smile never fading. "Heh. Glad you agree. But you've gotta get going. Don't want to keep Hamuko waiting."

Just as Castor said this, Shinjiro was engulfed in blue light and vanished. Castor stood there with the same content look on his face, until a voice broke his thoughts.

"Wasn't that a bit risky?"

Turning, Castor saw a purple silhouette in the shape of a man with spiky hair. Even though he had no eyes, it was clear that the being was looking at him.

"He needed to release his anger if he wanted to control his Persona."

"And what if you killed him? What would become of our plans?"

Castor's smile turned more playful as his outfit shifted from the combat gear he had previously been wearing to a barely visible black shirt under a white coat extending to his knee and a pair of white trousers. "Don't worry. I made sure that he would live. I can't afford to lose someone so useful, especially when he is just proving his worth."

The being sighed and shook it's head, clearly unhappy with that response. "Look, I'm just wondering if you needed to go so far."

"Of course." Castor replied as his hair extended and he tied it into a ponytail. "He needed to learn his own faults, and people like him learn best in a… physical manner."

"Just don't go too far. We might not get a second chance with this."

"Don't worry. I'll be careful, old friend." A mask appeared in Castor's hand and he placed it upon his face. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to take care of."

And with that, Castor disappeared into thin air. The purple apparition soon followed.

* * *

Shinji soon awoke in a familiar bed. He HAD to stop waking up here, it was worrying. Then again this bed was a lot more comfortable than the desk and chair back in the classroom. With a grunt, he pushed himself up and stretched his arms over his head. He was relieved to find that his real hand wasn't badly broken. Matildo already charged a lot and he doubted a spontaneously crushed hand would be a good thing to have on his tab.

His thoughts soon drifted however as something very important caught his eye. The main hall seemed completely different now. It was hard to describe, the best he could come up with being that if you looked at it from above you might see a capital E with a few bits sticking out of it. All the shops were now aligned on the same side of the room. The dimension gate was now further away than it had been before and Takehisa's platform was now next to it.

Another thing which struck Shinji was that it was suddenly very clean. Before it had looked very grey and grimy. Now it was clean and shiny. His brief experience with Demons had taught him that this was unnatural and that he should be worried.

A voice from came from behind him. "I see you've noticed."

Spinning around, he saw Kirijo, his hand clenched on his gun, staring directly at him. "What happened?"

"That's what the others have gone to find out. It was like this when we got back from the Overlord's castle."

"How long have they been gone?"

"Not long. You should get some more rest. They probably won't be back for a while."

Shinjiro didn't argue and rested his head on the pillow again. He knew that something big was about to happen and that he'd have to be ready for it.


	24. Chapter 23 – Death of the Past

**Chapter 23 – Death of the Past**

* * *

Before he had been scared of the dreams, after all they showed him bad memories and horrifying images. Now though, he was just fed up of them. He recognised this memory immediately. It was when he was a member of SEES back when it was just him, Akihiko and Mitsuru. This was the night it all went wrong.

Before anything could happen though, he raised his head and started yelling. "Whoever's doing this can cut the crap!"

Everything froze at his words, Akihiko and Mitsuru froze mid run and even the Shadow they were chasing was still. He kept talking despite this. "I know that whoever you are, you're just gonna show me some shit I already know then some imagery and cryptic words that are meant to mean something then just push me back like it never happened! Why don't you just get to the point?"

For a few second nothing happened, then Akihiko and Mitsuru vanished, along with the Shadow and Shinji was left alone. A few more seconds, Dai appeared, is weapons drawn, some sort of darkness amassing around his back and head. In front of him was a woman with a malevolent grin, dressed in a black dress with a cut down the middle which stopped just before her waistline. Her wings, tail and horns as well as her…. Figure, proved that, like Damia, she was a Succubus. Fire flared into her hands as Dai drew his weapons, the intent to kill this woman radiating off him. Looking closely he could see that in the fire was the image of several people in agony. The most prominent of these was a woman with dark hair, easily in her mid-thirties. Something told him this woman was important but he wasn't sure why.

And just like he expected, the two began speaking in unison, a thousand voices mixing with their own. _"Two pasts have come to join each other, leading to the same future. The torn warrior must make his choice, but the queen of suffering may tear him apart."_

Looking closely he could see that in the fire was the image of several people in agony. The most prominent of these was a woman with dark hair, easily in her mid-thirties. Something told him this woman was important but he wasn't sure why.

The fire in the woman's palm spread, engulfing all of them. Despite knowing it was a dream, Shinji couldn't help but panic and desperately try to get the fires out. When it finally faded, Dai and the woman were gone and he was once again in a black void. He looked around and spotted Hamuko before him. He didn't waste time and began running to her.

As he ran, the images flooded his mind once more along with new ones. This time he saw a monster with green skin and a sinister glare, a man with a mask with a strange pattern on it and finally a man turning into a monster engulfed in light. The images hurt even more than ever before but after taming Castor, he felt strong enough to do anything and he kept running till he finally reached Hamuko and pulled her into his arms. He held onto her like his life depended on it.

"For all I know you're not really her, but listen anyway. I will make it back. I will keep you safe and if anyone hurts you, I will make them suffer pain ten times worse. As long as I breathe I will keep you safe."

He felt her fading but he didn't look. He just kept talking to her. "I know you have to go. Wait for me there. I won't let you down."

She faded completely and he was left alone. But he felt no pain or sadness. He could indulge in those as much as he wanted if he failed. But he was just getting started. He didn't have time for sorrow.

From behind him, he heard the same hundred voices as before. _"When despair fills the world, the prophet will seek hope. He will emerge from darkness and vow to save the queen."_

Sighing, he turned to find a mysterious apparition. It was in the shape of a man with spiky hair and was entirely purple. It had no features on its face but he still knew it was looking at him. Despite the mysterious appearance of the entity, he approached it without fear. When their faces were only an inch apart he spoke in a whisper.

"I don't know who you are, but if you're my ally, be a little clearer. And if you're my enemy, know that I will end you if you get in my way."

The apparition seemed to chuckle at this. "Maybe he was right about you. Maybe you do have what it takes."

And then he was gone and Shinji felt himself wake up.

* * *

His vision was blurry as he opened his eyes, everything appearing as blobs of colours. As his eyes adapted, someone leaned over him and he spoke before he could stop himself.

"Hamuko…?"

The colours shifted in a way that implied that the figure was tilting their head to one side. After a second he heard a familiar voice. "That's the second time you've called me that…"

Finally his vision cleared and he could see that, while physically similar, the girl hovering over him was not Hamuko. Instead it was a confused looking Mei, who looked like she was about five seconds away from violating his personal space. He quickly rose and pushed her back enough for him to sit up. Sitting around him were the others. Everyone looked tense, as if someone was watching them but they didn't know where this person was. He'd never seen them looks so worried.

Well, except Masaru. He didn't look worried and was instead holding his head to the ground and knocking on it every so often. Shinji decided not to ask what he was doing. Instead he turned to Kirijo and asked what he needed to. "Do we know what's going on?"

Kirijo shook his head. Aki answered in more detail. "From what we found out, while we were gone all the students started acting like Delinquents. They started cleaning up and… well, you can see the results for yourself."

Juro, who had been spinning a bullet around his hand, quickly rose to his feet. "It's not natural man! What if we start acting like them!? I'm no Delinquent! No one can make me one of them!"

Dai rested his hands on the gunners shoulder. "Relax. No one can make us like them. And if they try, they'll get a taste of my sword."

Juro accepted this and sat back down. Some of the group noticed that the way Dai had said it may have been to comfort himself as well.

For the next few minutes no one spoke, the occasional sound of knocking from Masaru providing the only noise. Then, catching everyone off guard, Masaru jumped to his feet and planted his sword into the ground. Pulling at the blade, he lifted one of the panels out of the stone floor and looked down the hole in the ground.

A few seconds later, someone emerged from the hole. She was a girl wearing a beanie hat with folds in it resembling a cat's ears. Resting on her forehead were a pair of goggles with lenses that, again, resembled a cat's. She had shoulder length blonde hair and a sneaky smile on her face. She was still too far into the hole for Shinji to see anything below her chin.

"Masy!" She yelled enthusiastically.

"I told you not to… you know what forget it. What can you tell me about what's going on?"

"You're not even gonna ask if I'm ok? You jerk!"

Masaru didn't answer. He was perfectly content to just stare at the girl till she answered his question. She sighed. "Fine. From what I saw, most of the Freshman were taken somewhere and when they came back, they were like this."

"Where were they taken?"

"Looked like the Audio-Visual Room."

"Strange… That place hasn't been used in years. What else can you tell me?"

"A few minutes ago, Mao went to check it out himself. He didn't look too happy with the changes to the Academy."

"I can imagine…"

"Anything else?"

Masaru thought for a moment before answering. "Steal anything good recently?"

"Maybe~."

Masaru held up a stack of money.

"Oh I just rembered. I stole this awesome spear!" Raising her arm, she clenched what looked like a glaive of some sort. It had a strange pattern on the side of it and looked like it was made from a strong metal.

"Oh yeah!" Agnus yelled before approaching to take it. Another hand snatched it before he could though. "What the Hell!? I'm the spearman of this group that should be mine!"

Mei didn't even bother looking at him, examining the blade instead. "So? I've been stuck with my back up axe all this time. I deserve a new toy."

Shinji could sense an argument brewing and cut them off before it could start. "If you prove you can use it, then you can keep it. If not, give it to Agnus."

She nodded with an enthusiastic smile. "Deal!"

Agnus grunted before turning away from her. "I expect to get it soon."

While this was going on, Masaru handed the thief the money in his hand. She took it in a second and stared at it in joy. After safely pocketing it, she turned back to Masaru. "I bet you're going to the Audio-Visual Room."

"That's for them to decide. Personally I don't care."

"I wonder if you really mean that."

"… See ya around Eiko."

With a quick wave, Eiko dropped back into the ground and Masaru placed the stone back where it was. He then approached Shinji and sat next to him.

"Who was that?" Shinji asked.

"Eiko, a thief. She does jobs for me in exchange for money. She was the one who got all those student files for us."

"And her info's reliable?"

"Hasn't been wrong yet."

Shinji contemplated his options. He could just ignore what was going on and keep training or he could investigate and risk running into Mao or something even worse. But looking around, he saw how badly this was affecting everyone. He couldn't risk them fighting in this state. They needed answers and the Audio-Visual Room was where he'd get them.

"Get ready, everyone. We're headed for the Audio-Visual Room."

* * *

As all this happened, an archer walked down a dark corridor. He looked very smug and carried himself with an air of confidence, as if he was the best and knew it. When he reached the end of the corridor, he emerged into a realm of light where a man in a white suit waited for him. He bowed slightly.

"I take it my work was to your satisfaction?"

The man in white didn't turn, or rise from the seat he was in. "Indeed. The result was exactly as expected. Though was it wise to simply abandon Ikutsuki?"

"I felt he had done his purpose. There was no need to keep him."

The man in white sighed before pouring himself a drink. "You never looked at the big picture did you? No matter. Kasei and Eiji retrieved him and Koetsu has deemed him worthy of being experimenting on."

"Hmph, all right. I'll try not to let anymore assets die. Happy?"

The man smiled slightly. "I'll hold you to that. Now go. I have much to prepare for."

The archer bowed again and left. The man in white smiled again and took a long sip from the golden drink in his hand. "Finally. Everything's going according to plan."


	25. Chapter 24 – United by War

**Chapter 24 – United by War**

* * *

Preparations went swiftly, the Demons getting everything ready quickly so they could leave sooner. Shinjiro and Kirijo were also moving as quickly as they could. The sooner this was done, the sooner they could get back to work. Shinji came to a halt in his preparations when he felt a tug on his leg. Looking down he saw that same black Prinny that had spoken to Mei earlier. It was holding something in its hands.

"Mei-sama had a spare one of these. She thought you should have this." Extending its fins, Shinji saw that what it was holding was some sort of twisted red ornament. He wasn't sure what it was meant to be but he doubted that Mei would give him something that would harm him, not after she had more than enough chances to experiment on him while he slept. So, not seeing any risk, he accepted it and put it in his second inside pocket. He observed that between this and that Imperial Seal Gin had given him, he was running out of pockets but that wasn't a concern right now.

The others had gotten all their gear ready and were now on their way to visit Takehisa, who was thankfully not affected by whatever was happening to the students. He decided it was best to follow them. Aki, Dai and Juro had already been and now it was Masaru's turn.

* * *

Masaru's mind deeply contrasted with either Shinjiro's or Aki's. While they had been in strange or surreal environments, Masaru didn't seem to be anywhere. His mind was a black void with no sign of light. Also unlike the others, he only had two pillars, both in the shape of Dragons. The first had a sword embedded through its neck and the second was wrapped in chains. While he stood in the centre of the plain for Shinji and Aki, Takehisa drifted quite a distance away from Masaru, as if he was stuck drifting on the outskirts of the realm.

"You know I can't truly help you unless you let me, Zam." He said, his voice somehow sounding perfectly clear despite the distance between them. Masaru paid no attention to him and began ascending the staircase around the taller, chainless pillar. "You cannot reach your full potential unless you let others help you, Zam."

"I'm not here for a lecture. Now stop talking, I need to focus." Grasping the blade by the handle, Masaru pulled and easily removed it from its confinement. The Dragon seemed to come alive for a moment and ascended, revealing more of its tail as it did. Eventually it stopped and remained perfectly still as the staircase expanded once more. With his purpose done, Masaru jumped down and waited for Takehisa to return him.

With a sigh, he obliged and the two returned. Takehisa couldn't help but think something to himself as the young Ronin walked off. "Still a child. Your people raised you better than this Masaru…"

His thoughts on the matter would have to wait however as Shinji soon approached him and the two entered his mind again.

* * *

Shinji had hoped that the fire was symbolic of his anger, the rage he had supressed finally making its presence known. He had hoped that when he fought Castor and learned to vent it properly the fires would fade and that he could have a more peaceful visit next time.

So of course that wasn't the case.

Instead the fires were even stronger than before and were starting to form a ring shape around the area. So that pretty much scrapped the idea that it was anger based. So, just so he was clear on the subject, he had a fire inside his mind with an unknown source that was getting bigger and he had no idea how to stop it.

The Universe clearly loved him.

Takehisa looked worried too. No doubt he expected the fires to have faded by now. At this rate they would consume the entire area and then…

Shinji didn't want to think about what would happen to him then.

He had to get out of here soon. While the fire was purely symbolic of something, it still affected him like regular fire. He was starting to sweat, both from the heat it produced and from the memories the fire stirred in him, both old and new.

He only barely noticed that the pillar of truth was taller and had less chains around it, no doubt due to him taming Castor. He decided instead to keep climbing up the pillar of the axe, the heat somehow intensifying the higher he climbed. Not wasting any time, he grabbed the axe and pulled it free. Just as before the pillar rose higher and the stairs continued to coil around it before it stopped once again.

The fires flared as it did this and the heat became nigh unbearable and he ran back to Takehisa, his mind registering the new technique as quickly as possible. As soon as he reached the Ninja, they both left, more than eager to escape the incredible heat.

Both were thankful for the cooler atmosphere of the Academy. Shinji left without a word and Takehisa took a moment to regain his composure. He had never experienced a force so powerful in any mind he ever visited. To be honest, it scared him, especially since he had no idea just what it was that made it.

He could only hope that his boss could figure it out.

* * *

Everyone noticed that there was a tense air as they approached the Audio-Visual Room. Shinjiro and Masaru were being even more quiet than usual. The mood wasn't helped by the fact that on their way to their destination, numerous unconscious Demons could be seen. They had seen something like this before, though on not quite as large a scale. And it just put them all on edge.

After all, last time they saw anything like this, Mao completely destroyed them. And the DEFINITELY didn't want a repeat of that.

Finally, they reached their destination. The door was already open slightly and they could hear someone speaking on the other side, though the words were lost to them. Juro was the first to approach the door and looked inside, careful not to open the door yet. Inside he could see most of the Freshman class gathered in an unnaturally orderly fashion. The sight of it sent shivers down his spine but he forced himself to keep looking into the room. On stage was a man in gold armour with hair the exact same colour. He looked like he was saying something, but he wasn't sure who exactly he was speaking to.

And then he looked at the area closest to them. He wished he didn't have to. Just as he expected, Mao was there, and all his allies too. They looked even stronger than before and there were even more of them now. They now had a Slime demon and what looked like a Magic Knight but Juro paid them no attention. Instead, he focussed on the three girls in pink, the ones they had seen before their fight with Damia. Gin was there too, so hopefully they'd have at least one person in this room who wouldn't try to kill them. Edging away from the door, he whispered what he'd seen to the others.

"That's a lot of people…" Shinji muttered, not liking the idea of taking on as many as Juro described. "But I guess we gotta go in there."

The others nodded, most of them not liking the idea of going in either. Shinji decided that diving in in the hopes of gaining the element of surprise was NOT the best idea and that they should instead enter slowly in the hopes of not being spotted and finding a good spot to start their attack. Shinji went first and crept in slowly. Thankfully everyone was too distracted by what the man in gold was saying, and he was too caught up in speaking, and didn't notice them entering one by one.

Once in the room, Shinji slowly approached Gin, who was thankfully at the back of the group, so they didn't risk anyone else seeing him. Eventually he reached the suit wearing Demon and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around in surprise, but calmed when he saw the familiar face of the man he still owed a huge debt. Noticing that Shinji seemed to be trying to stay out of sight, Gin spoke to him in a whisper.

"I hope you're here to help us out again."

"Depends. You here to stop whatever's happening to the students?"

Gin nodded and glanced back to the armoured man. "He's been talking for about half an hour. His words seem to put some sort of spell on the people who hear them. We came here to investigate."

"Same here. And Mao?"

"He doesn't want anyone other than him to defeat the Overlord. This is a threat to his ambitions so, here he is."

"Just as long as he's attacking them and not me and my group then I'm cool with it."

Gin smiled slightly. "Right now his focus is on them. And don't worry, if he tries anything, Me, Beryl, Kyoka, Askua, and Almaz'll stop him."

Shinjiro's eyebrow's raised slightly. "Beryl? Isn't she that girl you roped us into trying to save?"

"Yeah. And I'm sure she'd love to pay you back for that, even if we didn't do anything that actually helped her."

"If you two are done I have a suggestion."

Turning their heads, they saw that Masaru had somehow snuck up on both of them. They figured it was best not to ask how and instead just signal for him to continue.

"There are balconies on both sides of the room. Doesn't look like anyone's using them and they make a good hiding spot. If we wait there we can get the drop on any enemies when the fighting starts."

Both of them seemed ok with this and Shinji left to get ready, but not before saying one last thing to Gin. When we attack, make sure that your friends don't attack us."

Gin nodded and turned back to his own allies, waiting for the armoured man to finish talking.

Shinji decided that he would lead the group on the left side of the room while Masaru would lead the group on the right. On his team he had Kirijo, Saiduq, Samantha and Mei. Masaru meanwhile had Aki, Dai, Juro and Agnus. Each team had the same basic strategy: When the fight started, the group's leaders and heavy hitters would jump out and start attacking while the gunners and the spear wielders would stay behind to cover the gunner or jump into the fray if things go downhill. They didn't know what Mao's group would do and they could only hope that Gin could stop them from attacking them and focus on their mutual enemy.

Now all they had to do was wait for the opportune moment.

* * *

"God does this guy ever shut up?" Shinji muttered after twenty five minutes of listening to the guy droning on and on about some guy named Aurum. How was this even hypnotizing people? It sounded like something someone read to a five year old when their bored, not something that gets people to completely reinvent their lives. From the looks of things his team agreed with him, looking increasingly bored, as if the threat of a horribly painful death at the hands of hundreds of Demons was something that was tedious and annoying.

At this rate he was hoping that someone would lose their temper and attack someone, if just so SOMETHING would happen. Hell, he was tempted to give the order to charge just so they could shut this guy up themselves!

Finally, after far too long, the man finished his speech with a simple, "… And thus, Aurum defeated the Overlord, and the world knew peace, happily ever after. The end."

"Oh God, he actually said 'Happily ever after'? What is with this guy?" Saiduq muttered, annoyance finally breaking through his cheerful demeanour. He looked like he just wanted to hit the guy now, a thought that they all shared.

Their anger wasn't helped when they heard the sound of clapping. The Freshman were honestly applauding that! Glancing over, they could see that Mao's group was showing several emotions. Annoyance, boredom and a noticeable amount of disappointment. The groups swordsman looked like he even realised just how stupid this all was. They could see the girl with pink hair stepping forward, as if she wanted to say something.

"Everyone, open your eyes! Don't be fooled by a cheesy hero story! Did you forget your Demon instincts!? Remember the time you drew moustaches on the famous people in your history books? And remember when you used to sneak around class, licking the pencils of the girls you liked?"

God, this was just as stupid! Why was everyone in this place crazy? Or better question WHY WAS HE EVEN HERE!? Shinji could feel his IQ dropping with every word everyone said in this room. He was glad that Mao appeared to start talking to the pink haired girl because at least it meant he couldn't hear the stupid anymore.

The students who had been listening to the man in gold were now focussed on Mao's group and seemed to be saying something to them. Mao started to smile evilly and whatever he suggested doing, his allies were trying to prevent. Something the swordsman said clearly annoyed him but the trench coat wearing man seemed to say something to calm him down.

Just after this, the man in gold started talking again, this time speaking directly to Mao's group. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! You guys are making a ruckus! Which one of your Rudypoos is it? Who wants to talk while Gold Knuckle is trying to get his work done!?"

" _Who has the name 'Gold Knuckle'!?"_ Shinji found himself thinking, wondering why he was even bothering to question what was happening. While he was thinking, Mao started talking, now clear enough for everyone in the room to hear.

"Do your work somewhere else, old man. This is an evil school for education."

"First of all, Gold Knuckle is not an old man. Gold Knuckle is a Senior! Who goes to this school!" This statement seemed to make the bored, disinterested nature of Shinji's demon allies fly out the window, to be replaced by a tense, worried atmosphere. Mao's team seemed surprised and nervous as well, as if the man in front of them had just caught a missile with his bare hands. "You don't mess with Gold Knuckle, Master of Beheading Kenpo! At least, not if you heeeeeaaaaarrrrrr-"

As he spoke, Shinji finally started to realise why he was able to hypnotize people purely by speaking. His voice and the way he spoke seemed to have an incredible charisma to hem, as if just by hearing his voice you would believe everything he said. The people on the ground seemed to notice it too yet they were able to resist it affecting them.

"Heh heh heh. Gold Knuckle doesn't even remember how many people fell prey to his Kenpo. But he'll show you the true power of an Evil Academy Senior. Let the veil of mystery be lifted!" Shinji didn't know what he meant by that, or what Beheading Kenpo was (Other than that it sounded painful) but when he said it, the hypnotised Freshman began moving forward, ready to attack.

Just a little closer and…

"Now!" Shinji yelled to his team. He was tired of listening to these insane idiots talking, and he was perfectly willing to let his anger out on these Demons, hypnotised or not, as an unfortunate Ghost found out when he jumped axe first onto it and nearly flattened it. Naturally, it didn't get back up.

Samantha and Saiduq merely shrugged at this and quickly jumped after him. Saiduq immediately started a relentless assault on an Eryngi, hitting any spot he could as fast as he could, while Samantha punted a Prinny as hard as she could, sending it flying. Its flight was cut short when Aki dived out of his side of the room and backhanded it back towards the stage. It collided with an explosive barrel, which for some reason was just there, and exploded in impact, injuring the three purple Orcs who were still nearby, since they'd been closest to the stage. Masaru and Dai dived out after Aki, attacking two Catsabers as soon as they landed.

Since he liked what Samantha had done with the Prinny closest to her, Aki decided to do the same with the Prinny closest to him, uppercuting it in her direction. She easily figured out what he was doing and kicked it towards another exploding barrel (Seriously what are those things doing here?) and the result was the same as before. Shinji almost felt sorry for the Orcs, who still hadn't gotten out of range and so got hit by the explosion again, but they were his enemies right now, so all they'd get from him was an axe to the face.

The two gunners decided that now was the time to start shooting, aiming for a pair of Mothmen that were moving across the room. While Juro's gun dealt more damage with each shot, Kirijo was firing faster and more than making up for his gun's weaker damage output. Mei and Agnus weren't happy about waiting with the two but they followed their orders and waited till they were needed.

Then, a huge fireball soared past Shinji's group and hit the group of students, easily defeating a pair of Slimes. Looking to where the blast had originated from, they saw that Gin and that pink haired girl seemed to have collaborated on that. They had looked just in time to see Mao and the man in white dash forward with their swords drawn. Shinji was worried for a second, what if Gin hadn't convince them not to attack? Had he even gotten the chance to speak with them?

Thankfully his fears were put to rest when they both dashed right past, their eyes focused on the Senior. Mao reached him first, the scarf wearing swordsman stopping to fight the three Orcs, a task that a woman with white hair and the trench coat wearing man, soon helped him with, each taking one of them on in direct combat. Each of the three had a noticeably different fighting style. The swordsman was dodging a lot but every time he attacked, he did so with precision and great strength. The girl was the exact opposite, rarely dodging but easily put her enemy on the defensive every time she swung her surprisingly large axe. How she was able to swing that thing so fast was a mystery to everyone who cared enough to notice. The gunner meanwhile had a style not to different to the swordsman, focusing more on staying just out of his opponents grasp. In contrast however, every time he dodged, he would fire a shot at his enemy, decreasing their speed each time.

While those three fought, Mao had reached Gold Knuckle and the two were fighting. Despite his heavy armour, the Senior was easily as fast as Mao and the two were at a stalemate. Mao's greater reach clearly gave him an advantage over the armour wearing man, who was fighting bare handed, but that armour also allowed him to deflect many of Mao's attacks, simply by raising his arms.

Since every enemy was preoccupied with someone, Shinji was free to pick whoever he wanted to attack. Part of him thought about immediately going to attack Gold Knuckle but he could see how dangerous that guy was. Instead he decided to help out the swordsman of Mao's group with that Orc. Since it was already injured, it was a simple matter of slamming his axe into its helmet to send it collapsing to the ground. He met the swordsman's eyes for only a second but in that second, the two understood that the other wasn't their enemy. Knowing that, the swordsman pulled out the same three swords he had used against Masaru and jumped towards the girl. She saw him and the second she did, she summoned a ball of ice in her hand and threw it at her enemy, trapping it between several ice spikes just as his first swords collided with its head and he used the familiar attack. Between the force of the two strike, the Orc collapsed just like the other had.

While all this had been going on, Shinji had used his axe to uppercut the third orc into the air, where the gunner then shot it several times before it came down into the path of Shinji's blade once again. With all three Orcs defeated, the four went to help Mao with his fight. He hadn't seen them coming, so he was a little surprised to feel a last of ice hit him in the side followed by a series of flaming bullets exploding against his skin. Before he could even turn to see what had hurt him, Shinjiro threw his axe at him, it sailing to the right of his enemies head. He would have laughed if not for Shinji then punching him with enough force to send him right after it, the swordsman repeating his earlier attack on his mid-air opponent before jumping back, having a good guess what was about to happen.

Shinji wasn't sure about this attack, it seemed impossible to him. But it had come from his mind after releasing that block so he had to have faith. Holding out his hand, he focused and could feel energy circling around his hand. Then he pulled his arm back and at that exact same moment, his axe stopped in mid-air and began moving back towards him at high speeds. It easily hit Gold Knuckle on its way back and the two came veering towards the ground. Gold knuckle impacted with it with enough force to break it and Shinji's axe moved back to his hand, as if a magnet was stuck to it. He didn't know how exactly he'd just done that, but he got the feeling he was going to be doing that a lot from now on.

Gold Knuckle moved to get back up, the ground apparently suffering more than he had. Just as he did however, something appeared directly in front of his face. A hand wrapped in green flames. Said hand then wrapped its way around his face and he could just hear Mao laugh before the flames exploded outwards, sending him flying back behind the curtain of the stage.

Shinjiro glanced back and saw that between the two teams, most of the enemies had been subdued and the groups seemed to have done a good job of working together to do so. But he knew better than to assume that an enemy was defeated easily, and he quickly looked back to the curtain which Gold Knuckle had been knocked behind.

Mao asked the very same question that was on his own mind. "Did we get him!?"

Unfortunately, Gold Knuckle emerged from behind the curtain, unfazed. "Heh heh heh! Doesn't even hurt! Don't think you can beat a Senior! I'm still bursting with energy!"

"Grr! Guess that's what makes a Senior! He's obviously garbage, just tough Garbage! However I'm not allowed to lose to anyone but my dad…" Mao muttered, annoyed more than anything. Then again, Shinji didn't feel particularly tired so perhaps Mao was the same and the two of them could eventually wear him out. Come to think of it, he wasn't even worried about fighting this guy, just really annoyed that the guy had wasted half an hour of his life.

Before anyone could continue, a voice echoed throughout the room. "Stooooooooop, boom!"

You couldn't really miss the loud man dressed like a mix between a chef and a martial artist jumping into the middle of the room. And that was exactly the kind of way to describe Champloo's entrance. Aki and the man in white both reacted the same way to his presence, letting out a surprised cry of, "Master!"

"A Senior is out of your league! So I will help you in this cooking battle!" He yelled.

"This isn't a cooking battle…" Shinji said bluntly, though naturally no one listened to him. Mao seemed strangely annoyed that he was here, even though he was here to help them.

"Hmph! I don't need help from a Home Economics teacher! OR some random Demons who just burst in in the middle of the fight! Senior or not, I can beat my own idiots!"

The pink haired girl, who was much closer than anyone remembered, promptly called him out on this. "Why are you being stubborn? You've already needed our help!"

"Shut up! That was just you guys doing your own thing!"

Champloo didn't seem bothered by what Mao said and instead started laughing. "Hyahya. Mao, if you wanna be stubborn, do it for good food! Either way, I'm part of your crew!"

Gold Knuckle pulling a switch turned everyone's attention back to him. "Either way, you guys are gonna have to deal with me if you wanna leave this room alive! Let's get the main event started!"

Around him, more enemies dropped from the ceiling and more appeared on ledges around the room. Also falling were two blocks, one blue and one green. Just as they fell, the ground was illuminated and most of it became a mishmash of blue and green. Shinji didn't know what that meant but he assumed it wasn't good.

The real fight was just getting started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cross (Mao's gunner) is property of KO. Here is his character sheet:
> 
> Cross   
> Title: Loyal Companion  
> Weapons: Spears, Guns  
> Skills:  
> All Gun and spear skills from A Promise Unforgotten, as well as Star and Wind Magic  
> Pierce (Cross' weapon glows blue as he -spear- throws it with electricity flows through it, and upon impact, explodes -gun- shoots with a flaming red bullet is shot from the barrel, and explodes upon hitting its target) Description: I never miss. Range: 8 (one target.)  
> Rapid fire (Cross' weapon begins to glow red as he jumps into the air and toss' it, his hands are actually glowing, and shoots the lights rapidly until the ground cracks) Description: When does he run out? Range: 5 (five targets in a straight line)  
> Bullet time! (Cross brings out two black revolvers resembling the Reapers, and begins to fire at an astounding rate until the enemy explodes from the amount fired) Range: 1 (four enemies adjacent to him.)  
> Appearance: blue hair that reaches to his shoulders, tied in a pony tail, also wears glasses with his left lens bearing a white cross and a black lens, and wears a long black tattered trench coat with a red scarf around his neck, along with a yellow buttoned shirt and black tattered jeans.  
> Description: A gunner who is not to be taken lightly. While he is mostly silent, he will often speak in a kind tone that seems to calm Mao down.  
> Evility: Loyal Servant (If Mao is on the field, then Cross' stats are doubled)


	26. Chapter 25 – Tools of War

**Chapter 25 – Tools of War**

* * *

Looking around the battlefield, Shinji made note of how many enemies there were. Apart from Gold Knuckle there were two muscular looking men with axes with two women with spears backing them up. On the ledge next to the stage were two boys in dark yellow hooded capes holding staffs. Next to them were those mysterious blocks, which still confused him. To the left and right, on the same platforms as the teams gunners and spearmen were eight girls, four dressed in a fashion similar to the head of the Student Council they'd fought not too long ago, and four dressed the same as Masaru's informant. There were two of each kind of girl on each side, the ones in dressed holding bows, while the others had pistols strapped to their waists.

The cat standing next to Gold Knuckle looked extremely out of place next to all these heavily armed people. None the less, underestimating your opponent was one of the biggest mistakes you could make, so he treated it as just as high a threat as anything else, until proven otherwise.

Everyone stood there for what felt like hours. They were all waiting for someone else to make the first move. That is until Mao got bored and decided to just attack the nearest enemy. The axe wielder he attacked easily blocked the swing of his sword and pushed him back. Mao was relentless though and kept swinging at the man, persistent to defeat him.

Everyone else took this as a sign to start fighting, and as soon as they did, pure chaos unfolded. Mei and Agnus both launched themselves at one of the archers on the platform with them. Agnus chose to aim for his enemies shoulder, hoping to stab through it and decrease her ability to fire arrows. Her quick side step made it so that the wound was only a graze and she countered with an amazingly fast shot to his leg. It hurt but he continued his assault regardless. Mei meanwhile has better luck as she had used her new glaives sharp side to cut straight through her archers bow and then in the same motion smacked her in the face with the opposite end of the pole. The blow caused her to lose her balance and she soon slipped and fell to the ground below. Mei didn't have enough time to celebrate her victory, when she felt an arrow from the second archer pierce her back, narrowly missing her left wing.

Kirijo had done the sensible thing and tried to move away from the two gunners who had dropped down next to him. Their shots kept landing just behind him as he darted back and forth, surprisingly fast for a man of his age. Unfortunately, since he was moving so fast, his own retaliation shots were incredibly inaccurate. He annoyed one when one of his shots damaged her goggles but it wasn't till he got a lucky shot to one of the two's knee that he made any significant progress in defeating them. Juro was taking a very different approach to the problem, standing almost completely still, but firing so accurately that he was able to deflect every shot that was fired at him, even though they were coming from two completely different directions. It seemed like this would go on forever, at least until he picked up several rocks and threw them straight at one of his enemies face. This stopped her from firing long enough for him to shoot the other five times, enough for her to collapse to the ground unconscious. The second soon followed and he started shooting at the archer now, who had been firing at Mao's group for several minutes now.

Dai had decided to do the same thing as Mao and was now facing off against the second axe using warrior. Charging into him, he knocked the man straight onto his back, but ran too fast and fell onto the ground himself. He rose just in time to raise his sword and block the man's counterattack. Swinging his own axe at the man's legs, he forced him back and the two began circling each other. Dai was so focussed on the man in front of him that he didn't notice one of the spear wielding women sneaking up on him. Thankfully, Aki's feet colliding with her face solved that problem for him. Just as he landed from his attack, he was almost impaled himself, but his fast hands allowed him to catch the spear and force it to the side. She would have kept attacking if not for the bullets flying at her, courtesy of the man in the trenchcoat, forcing her to keep moving, while also trying to land a good hit on Aki, which was surprisingly difficult.

The other spear user soon found herself in a duel with one of Mao's allies, a girl in white and pink using a spear of her own. They would each try to stab or slice through each other only to find the handle of their opponent's spear deflecting their attacks. The swordsman in white had decided to help Mao in his battle and, with him cutting deep into the guy's kneecaps and Mao then slitting his throat, the man dropped like a brick. With that done, both of them turned their attention back to Gold Knuckle, who was currently squaring off against Champloo and Shinji.

The two in question hadn't attacked yet and were instead thinking about the best way to take their opponent down. He was content with waiting for them to make their move, confident that he could counter anything they did. While he was caught off guard by the pair of swordsman rushing him, he was easily able to block both their attacks with his thick gauntlets. Champloo took advantage of this distraction though, jumping into the air and landing several quick kicks on Gold Knuckle's undefended head. Unlike other attacks, these ones seemed to actually affect the senior and he tried in vain to raise his arms to block them. Eventually Champloo finished his assault and Gold Knuckle would have attacked him in retaliation, if it weren't for something distinctly axe shaped slamming into the back of his head. It barely cut into him, but it was the first attack to do so.

The two mages of Gold Knuckle's forces would have helped their leader, if they didn't have their own problems to deal with, specifically keeping Masaru, Samantha, Saiduq and that white haired girl from reaching them. The two were powerful, easily calling down numerous bursts of energy to keep their enemies back. In fact, Masaru and the white haired girl would have been knocked out already, if not for Gin summoning a barrier of ice above them to deflect one of the blasts and Mao's healer curing any wounds they suffered. Samantha was the biggest threat, moving at incredible speed. He was about to use his strongest spell to knock her back, when a fireball soared past his head. Gin's pink haired friend had thrown it and continued to do so to keep him from succeeding at his spell. Finally the Nekomata reached him and was almost disappointed when a single kick knocked him out.

Agnus had finally made progress with his own target, stabbing her in the leg, then punching her off the ledge, straight into the path of Mao's fighter, who slammed her into the ground with his axe. At the same time, Juro shot the enemy archer in the forehead, disorienting her long enough for the Magic Knight to slam a ball of ice into her. Both men nodded at the ones who helped them and the four went to help their allies.

It was a similar situation with Mei who, thanks to the very distracting fireballs being thrown at her opponent by the red clad mage, was able to get close enough to her, to cut clean through her gut and then knocking her out with a placed knee to the wound. Kirijo was also thankful for the help of the martial artist of Mao's team for jump kicking one of his enemies, letting him focus on the other. Between them, the two fell, leaving most of the Senior forces defeated.

The spear duel also quickly came to a halt when the second pink clad girl snuck up behind her allies target and punched her in the base of her spine. A resounding crack was heard, followed by the sound of a spear being thrust through someone's chest. Dai's battle also ended when Saiduq cheerfully kicked the shirtless man in the head, leaving him open to Dai cleaving through him with both his axe and sword at once.

Thanks to Gin's cover Masaru and the white haired girl had reached the last remaining mage, who was looking quite scared at the prospect of fighting both of them. In desperation, he summoned one last spell and aimed it straight at Masaru. It would have worked if Masaru hadn't thrown his sword into the air at that moment, deflecting the blast. He then drew his second sword before jumping into the air and catching the first and stabbing both into the young mage. Without wasting a second, he began pulling the swords out of his enemy's chest, only to stab them back in again as fast as he could. His attacks were fast enough that he was able to keep himself in the air purely through the amount of force he was applying with each stab. Finally he pulled both swords out and slammed them down into his targets chest, twisted them around, and then slashed upwards, forming an X shaped cut in the now unconscious wizard's body.

With nothing left to do where she was, the white haired girl jumped down to the ground, landing on the head of the last spear wielder, making her dizzy enough for Aki, who had been waiting for an opening to punch her clean in the ribs, easily shattering them and causing her to collapse from the pain. Now, with the exception of the cat, Gold Knuckle was alone and facing down on almost all of both teams, the only exceptions being Samantha and Masaru, who were staying near the blocks the mages had been guarding.

"I admit, you did pretty well to take out Gold Knuckle's buddies. You even made me bleed, not bad. But I'm afraid all your lives end here." As he said this, he leapt into the air, surprisingly high for a man in heavy armour. The cat did the same and the two met in the air. Then there was a bright light and all below heard a mighty yell from the armoured man. "Magichange!"

They barely had any time to notice what happened before Gold Knuckle slammed back into the ground, creating a huge crater and blasting them all back onto the mishmash of blue and green. Shinji recovered first and looked up. He would have laughed if he wasn't in so much pain.

Because standing there, wearing a glove that looked like a cat's paw, was Gold Knuckle. It contrasted so heavily with the rest of his outfit and just looked all around silly. Nevertheless, he had just sent almost all of them back about five feet with a single punch, so now wasn't the time to question the man's taste in fashion.

By the time, Shinji had gotten over it, Mao had also gotten to his feet and looked extremely annoyed. "You wanna play it that way!? Fine!"

Without hesitating Mao grabbed the slime monster that had been with him earlier and threw it into the air. He followed it and after the same bright light and the same yell that his enemy had released, Mao landed with a sword that looked like it was made out of solidified slime. It looked useless but, once again, Shinji reminded himself that judging by appearances would get him killed. Mao would have tried rushing Gold Knuckle again, if the man in question didn't jump across to meet him. The two were more than willing to continue their fight from earlier though, with Mao, swinging his sword, which was now behaving like it had been mixed with a whip, while Gold Knuckle dodged and locked the various attacks. It was clear that Mao's new sword was helping, as now various chips were forming in his enemies armour. Still, he was injured from that last attack and was getting tired. It wouldn't be long before he made a mistake and cost himself the fight.

And as much as Shinji didn't like Mao, he'd rather have him win than the Senior. He was about to help when he heard a voice next to him. "You want to help him cook this tricky dish? I think I know what to do, Boom!"

Before Shinji could ask, Champloo pointed to the ground. "These are Geo Panels, they radiate energy from those blocks, sometimes doing good, sometimes bad, depending on those blocks your friends are near. In this case the green ones make you stronger and the blue ones make you more vulnerable. See where I'm going with this?"

A smile, made its way onto Shinji's lips and he glanced to his left, where Aki had landed. "Wanna end this?"

"Do ya have to ask?"

All three men nodded at each other before Aki darted forward. Currently, Gold Knuckle was on a green panel and Mao was on a blue one, explaining the difficulty he was having. Three quick and powerful punches from Aki fixed that, forcing the Senior on to a blue panel.

And that was the beginning of the end for Gold Knuckle.

First, Champloo, fast as lightning, punched him in the chest at least twenty times before leaping into the air and performing a kick so powerful, that it created a small explosion. Then with Gold Knuckle already reeling from the attack, Mao ordered the blade of his sword to wrap around his arm as he charged up some kind of green energy into at the same time that Shinji summoned Castor. With incredible force, Mao punched the Senior straight up, right into Castor's path, leading to him being mauled by the horse riding Persona. Then, when Castor was done, he knocked gold Knuckle back down where Mao punched him again and released all the energy he had gathered in a powerful green explosion.

And, after all the effort and pain they had gone through, Gold Knuckle collapse, exhausted.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief at the prospect that they had won. They were NOT happy that Gold Knuckle decided to keep talking. "… Heh, hehehe. Don't be too proud just because you beat the Beheading Master. There's a tone of Seniors who are even better than the Knuck. If they ever decide to appear you're just a twist of an arm. Remember that Jabronis!"

Before anyone could do anything, the floor opened beneath him and sealed itself before anyone could follow him. Mao seemed unconcerned by this. "What a cheesy last line… That shows what a piece of trash he is."

The swordsman cut in at this, looking far more worried than his boss. "B-but if trash can get that strong, should we expect a crazy rumble to unfold in the near future…?"

While it wasn't how Shinji would have described it, he did agree with what the blue haired man said. "He's right. If one of them could be that strong and still not be best, we're in for a lot of trouble."

"And who are you?" Mao asked simply and honestly. The blue haired man looked exasperated at this.

"You didn't even notice them!?"

"I don't have time to focus on every little detail! I thought you'd have learned that by now Almaz."

"They're a group we fought when you were going for the title of Class leader." Mao didn't show any sign of remembering. "One of them summoned some weird creature that blasted you back before disappearing."

That refreshed his memory, and reminded him that Shinji had done the same just now. "Oh ho ho? So he's the one who did that? Finally! Now I can dissect him to learn how he did it!"

" _What is it with Demons and wanting to dissect me!?"_ Shinji thought to himself. "Look! Now's not the time for that! We've got a group of highly dangerous people hypnotising everyone here! We have to deal with 'em!"

Shinji was very thankful that Champloo decided to contribute to the conversation now. "Rest assured… Now that I'm here, they are but fish on a cutting board."

There was a brief silence before Shinji explained what Champloo meant. "He mean we'll cut 'em up easily."

The swordsman, Almaz, shrugged at this. "Whatever you say, but I do feel assured."

"I've been watching the strange behaviour on campus, but didn't expect a Senior to be the hidden spice…"

The pink haired girl decided that now was an important time to ask thhe teacher a question. "Do you think the hypnosis can be undone?"

"Indeed it can. It will melt away like chocolate in your hands."

"And how do we pull that off !?"

"With a hot, spirited heart! Only a passionate heart of fire can move the cold hearts of the students!"

"A hot heart!?" Mao questioned, clearly not understanding the statement.

The white haired girl though seemed to get completely the wrong idea about it though. "Hmm, so Demons have varying temperature hearts, too?"

The only answer she received was a gaze from Masaru which practically screamed _"No, you moron."_

Champloo seemed to completely ignore the question though and continued his point. "But with your undercooked hearts, you're liable to give them all food poisoning! Boom! Find the answer to this on your own! Let's see you defrost their hearts better than any microwave can do!"

"Why don't you just give us the answer and speed things up?" Shinji asked, only to be ignored.

"So we're to melt away our classmates' frozen hearts with our heated ones? Heh, I'm starting to feel the heat!" The pink haired girl said cheerfully.

"I'm not sure if we'll be able to do it ourselves, but we can't just leave them like this." Almaz stated in agreement.

"Oh, if we burn up our hearts. Sir Mao's heart may open up as well." And just like that, the white haired girl had made Shinji completely lose track of what anyone meant. His allies semmed to react in surprise to this though.

"Did you say his heart might open!?"

"That's impossible!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick…"

They calmed down when Mao himself decided to re-enter the conversation. ".. That's dumb. It'll never work. Let's just leave them like that. I'm too busy clearing out those vicious broods who are trying to defeat the Overlord."

No one in Shinji's team spoke. They'd seen how Mao fought and they didn't want to have to fight him yet. They were glad that everyone started filing out of the room and, seeing no better chance of continuing their mission, they all followed and hoped that Mao didn't kill them.

* * *

No one noticed that Champloo had stayed in the room longer than everyone else, or that he was approached by two men, one dressed in a black sweatshirt along with black pants, gloves and various belts. He also wore a black longcoat with silver, cross haped stitching along the arms and chains dangling from the collar. Finally he wore a pair of steel toed boots and had a katana strapped to his waist. Half his face was covered by his hair, which was the same shade of black as the rest of his outfit, leaving only one, lavender coloured eye visible.

The other was the same white haired, cloak wearing man that he had met before. Both of them bowed slightly before the man in white began speaking. "I take it you panned this?"

Champloo smiled at the younger man. "Of course! If you want the dish to turn out right, you've got to mix all the ingredients together eventually!"

The man in black then cut in. "But are we sure they can do what we need them to?"

"Have I ever led you wrong Terre?"

"…"

"That's what I thought."

"I just think that that boy you're using is sloppy. He relies too much on pure strength."

"And sometimes that's what's needed. Anyway, you both have jobs to do. Ruroni, go check on how far our enemies plans are advancing. Terre, head for the Sophomore classrooms and assess the situation, I get the feeling that's where we'll be headed next."

At this, both men bowed again and with a quick "Yes Boss." Vanished as if they were never there.

With his conversation done, Champloo went to catch up with his new team, determined to see his mission through to the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terre is property of Mirai666. Unfortunately, I cannot share his character sheet right now.


	27. Chapter 26 – The Black Demon Hunter

**Chapter 26 – The Black Demon Hunter**

* * *

No one was sure why they had followed Mao, only that they had and he hadn't killed them yet. They had been talking about what happened in the Audio-Visual room which Shinji mostly tuned out since he had already put up with listening to Gold Knuckle's glorified bedtime story today, he didn't have to waste his time listening to people talking about it as well.

He eventually started listening again when the pink haired girl, who he had learned was the Gin's friend Beryl, said, "… But to believe that other legendary Seniors are out there, up to some strange conspiracy…"

"'Defeat the Overlord'. We must prevent them from doing this. And the easiest way to stop them…" Mao began, thankfully missing the nervous looks spreading through some of the people in the room. The white haired girl, who had introduced herself as Princess Sapphire, though where she was princess of was no here Shinji had heard of, continued where he left off.

"Is to beat down the Senior Class Leader. First to strike, first to win. A surprise attack would be best." Shinji got the feeling he was going to like Sapphire. She clearly knew what it would take to win quickly. Mao also seemed to agree with her.

"You understand things pretty well for a Human. But the problem is finding the location of the Senior classrooms."

"You can't find them. It's impossible." At this statement, all eyes were on Gin who had looked very serious ever since the last fight. "The Seniors upgraded their classrooms into makeshift warships a long time ago. They never stay in one place for long and they always pick hard to find areas when they need to stay still for extended periods."

"How do you know so much?"

"A lot of research, luck and being in the right place at the right time." The way he said that was strange, as if it was both a lie and the truth at the same time. Shinji got the feeling that he was hiding something and Beryl's concerned expression just enforced this belief. However, so far Gin had proved trustworthy and loyal to his friends. Shinji would trust him, for now.

"Tch, well if they can't be found, how do we find them!?" Mao yelled, his desire to defeat his enemies mixing with his anger over Gin's statement. The trenchcoat wearing Demon, Cross was somehow able to make Mao relax a little with a simple, barely audible, 'Calm down' and the conversation continued.

"What about Geoffrey? I'm sure he has to know something." From most people's perspective, it would seem like Beryl only asked that to get attention away from Gin, who was now trying to blend into the shadows of the room they were in. Thankfully for the two of them, it seemed to distract Mao, whose expression morphed into one of caution.

"Geoffrey, yeah… Well, I'm not sure."

"… Is something wrong, Mao?" Almaz asked his master, clearly concerned for the white haired Demon. Shinji hadn't known Almaz very long but he already knew that, for whatever reason, he was very loyal to Mao. Why exactly was a mystery, but it wasn't his place to judge the swordsman.

"Well. Nothing good's come from listening to him lately." If it had only been a few day ago, Shinji would have been surprised if a well-dressed elderly man suddenly appeared in the room in front of Mao. But all the crap he'd been through recently had pretty much killed his ability to be surprised by anything.

"Hmhmhm. Such harsh criticism, Young Master." The fact that the Demon, who Shinji both recognised from his first day in the Netherworld, but also assumed was Geoffrey, said that in an amused tone made Shinji immediately mistrustful of him. He gave off the impression of a man who would smile at you when you were dying, a smile you couldn't see through his impossibly curled beard. The fact that his glasses prevented you from seeing his eyes didn't help Shinji feel that this guy was his ally.

"… Hmph. So Geoffrey, can you find the Senior classrooms?"

"The Senior classrooms you say? I've begun the search, but they have yet to be discovered."

"Psh… useless. Forget it. I'll gather the information myself."

"Mao, you don't have to talk to him like that…" Almaz whispered to him, though most people heard him say it anyway.

"Shut up. Servants should shut up and obey me." He said it like it was a fact, as if everything was simply forced to obey that rule. The sadness on Almaz's face was obvious to everyone except Mao himself, whose attention was now drifting to where Shinji and his allies were sitting. "Come to think of it, I don't remember inviting you guys into my room."

"We've been here the entire time and you only bring that up now?" An annoyed Agnus responded. One of the girls in Mao's group, whose name none of them had gotten yet, moved over and tried to calm him down before he started yelling. Kirijo thought it was best that he take over, as he was till calm enough to speak rationally.

"What our ally means is that we have the same goal as you, to defeat the ones responsible for this, so we are willing to offer our services to you until this threat is dealt with."

"Tch, I don't need YOUR help! Get lost!" His temper was rising again. How anyone could get through a conversation with this guy and still want to help him was a mystery. Thankfully though, the scarf wearing swordsman clearly had more of a logical mind than his friend.

"But, Mao, If they help us we can get to those responsible much faster, then you can get back to your goal of beating the Overlord and never have to see them again." Mao thought on Almaz's words before letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Fine. They can follow us for now. But as soon as we're done with the Seniors they can scram!" And with that he left. Several people let out a sigh of relief that no one had gotten into any fights overt the course of the conversation. Eventually everyone started filing out as well, each with their own ideas on how to get to the enemy base.

Eventually only Gin and Beryl were still there.

"Gin… I know this won't be easy for you…"

"It's fine Beryl. My past won't be a problem, I promise."

Beryl didn't believe him, it was impossible to believe someone whose smile was obviously fake, and whose voice was filled with concern. Nonetheless she nodded to him and the two left, hoping that they could get through this without the others asking more questions.

* * *

While searching for info on their enemies, Shinji made sure to find Almaz, who was currently trying to talk to a hypnotised Shaman. "Hey."

Almaz turned and gave him a weak smile. "Hey, what can I do for you?"

"I wanted to know why you stuck up for us back there."

It took a moment for the meaning of Shinji's words to sink in. "Oh, that. I just figured that, you wanted to help and we'd be facing some tough enemies. I didn't think it'd be smart to turn down free help like that."

"Hmph, well whatever your reason, thanks for sticking up for us. We have a common enemy. That Mao kid shouldn't be turning down free help."

Almaz sighed, as if he had had this conversation a thousand times in the last week. "Yeah, but he can be a little stubborn… Hopefully he'll see how useful you'll be soon."

"Why do you even work for that guy?"

The look of exasperation faded from Almaz's face, replaced by one of sadness. "Since I arrived here, I saw inside his heart. Theirs a trauma in there relating to his father in some way. His entire life is based around that one trauma. I want to help him overcome it and to do that, he has to defeat the Overlord himself. I think that's why he's so angry right now, the Seniors are threatening his chance to resolve whatever issue he has."

Shinji listened to all this and felt his own sadness grow. If he defeated the Overlord, the gate to Earth would open but was it worth taking away someone else's chance to fix a wound as deep as the one Mao bore? And if it wasn't, what would he do? Hope that the gate will open after Mao defeats his father? No, that was too risky. He had to be there to make sure that it happened.

Thinking about it, there was nothing stopping him from following Mao for a little while. If he was with Mao when the Demon won his battle, then he could ensure his own mission was a success. Plus, he'd seen how strong Mao's team was and figured that working with them would double their chances of victory. He still wasn't sure about the white haired Demon, but after hearing what Almaz said, he decided to trust him. For now at least.

"Hmph, in that case, I'd like to see him put his past behind him. I'll stick around till then."

"What if he tells you to leave?"

"If he wants me gone, he'll prove it with his blade. Till then, I'm not goin' anywhere."

Ever since he'd re-joined SEES, Shinji had gained an appreciation for genuine, kind smiles. He'd seen so many people try to hide their true emotions and fears behind fake ones that a true smile seemed like the rarest thing in the world. Almaz's was no exception. The fact that this man could seem so happy that someone wanted to help his friend, honestly made Shinji a little more hopeful. Maybe one day his allies would do the same when someone offered to help him.

"Thank you. I look forward to working with you." The swordsman extended his hand as he said this, stopping halfway between himself and the taller man. About a month ago, Shinji would have refused it, not wanting to get close to people so they wouldn't feel pain when he died. Then again, he was already sorta dead and he'd learned that if he wanted to survive, he needed more allies. And he could think of worse ones to have than this guy. So, extending his own hand, he clasped Almaz's in his own and gave it a firm shake.

"I should get back to investigating, don't want Mao to wait too long, right?"

"Yeah. Let's do our best."

Turning away to find someone who could help them, Shinji couldn't help but feel that he'd just made a friend. It was something he wasn't used to, but it gave him a feeling that he hoped he could feel again someday.

* * *

Kirijo had been wandering around for what felt like hours. He'd asked what felt like hundreds of people and not one of them had given him anything useful about the Seniors. Part of him wondered if this was some sort of punishment for something he did in life. Then he realised there were far too many cute girls for it to be a punishment. Regardless, he was starting to think that he should just meet up with the others and see if they knew anything.

Then he heard something behind him, "Psst! Over here!"

Turning, he saw the face of the girl who Masaru had spoken to not so long ago. She was looking around nervously from behind a corner, signalling him to come over quickly. Deciding that this was his best lead, he did so.

"The gate to the Sophomore classrooms is open. Someone is invading them. Thought you could use this. Going back underground now." As soon as she said this she darted away and vanished from sight before his brain could even comprehend that she had moved. He couldn't blame her for being nervous, after all he'd be the same if someone was going through his world hypnotising people. He still hoped she could have told him more but frankly he was just happy that know he had something to tell the others.

* * *

When the group met up to exchange information, Kirijo made sure to tell the others what he had learned, which was a good thing since he was the only one who'd learned anything even remotely useful. As soon as he finished, Gin started to talk. "It's bound to be the Seniors attacking, no other force in the Academy has the resources to try to invade Sophomore territory. If we want to find them, this is our best chance."

Since he had brought the information to the group, Kirijo felt obligated to ask the important questions. "What if their base has already left when we get there?"

"The Seniors are very militaristic, anything useful to them is worth fighting to the death for. That includes certain soldiers. If we can capture one of these soldiers we might be able to lure them to us. Though that should be our backup plan."

No one argued with that and, after checking they were all ready, set out for the dimension Gate.

* * *

The Sophomore classrooms were interesting to say the least. They seemed to be a more outdoor area with traditional Japanese buildings and decorations. Various flags and spikes had been added to the area, no doubt because of the enemies invading them. The pools of blood forming their own small streams were extremely alarming and proved that this wasn't like any battle they'd ever fought before. Scattered around the battlefield were groups of Ninjas and Samurai, none of them looking too friendly.

"There's so many of them!" Almaz yelled in fright and surprise. Mao had a much different reaction to his ally.

"A war of Sophomores vs. Seniors? Muhahaha, what a show! They look like trash!" Most of the people there would have yelled at him for taking such enjoyment from this, but someone else beat them to it.

"You stupidly allowed your subordinates to be hypnotized, and now you simply watch. How do you do it?" Looking up to the highest point of the battlefield, everyone saw an elegant looking man in a fancy golden yellow suit complete with a white cravat and what appeared to be a white cape at first glance but on closer inspection was found to actually be a pair of wings. No one knew who this was but one thing was clear, he was looking down on Mao both figuratively and literally.

"What!? Did you just call me stupid!?"

"You don't protect what you must. You don't do what you must. Who, other than you, can I call a stupid leader?" Even if they wanted to, no one had any way of arguing with that.

"Grr…! Those aren't even my subordinates! And what about this guy!?" Mao pointed at Shinji as he said that. "He came to me knowing he can't handle being leader!"

"The Hell did you just say!?"

Ignoring Shinji's outburst, the elegant man continued. "Fool. You have no right to lead anyone. Blind to weakness, irresponsible… The Overlord's son? Tsk, tsk. And if that man is such a poor leader, how have none of his subordinates fallen to the hypnosis?"

"How dare you speak to me like that!? Who are you, anyway!?"

"Why, my name is-" Before he could finish, a warrior jumped up next to him and gave a quick salute.

"Master Big Star, the battle is over! Our army is victorious! Please Master, if you would come to the battlefield!"

" _This guy's gotta have a pretty ego to have his men call him that!"_

"Very well. All Sophomores are to head to the main battlefield."

"But Master Big Star, there are still remnants of the enemy forces on that field."

Turning back to Mao, Big Star pointed down to him "The Overlord's son… I shall leave this place to you. I hope you can show me a little potential for becoming the next Overlord. Hmhmhm."

And with that, the two Sophomores turned and left, leaving only a small group of Seniors for the group to fight.

"…Such haughtiness! Who does he think he is?" Clearly the Sophomore had gotten under Mao's skin and he was very annoyed. This was not helped by his own allies stepping in, starting with Almaz.

"Master Big Star, of course. He's like, amazing in many ways."

"Master Big Star is the Sophomore Class Leader. It's my first time seeing him, but he lives up to his reputation." Beryls' speech had perfect timing, since Shinji and Kirijo really wanted to know who this guy was..

"Indeed. He has quite the calibre for being a leader, unlike Sir Mao." Clearly Sapphire didn't hold back with her comments.

"Exactly! Master Big Star's power is what kept the Sophomores from getting caught by the Seniors' hypnosis attacks." Champloo explained, making it perfectly clear that this Big Star guy was much stronger than Mao. But if everyone was referring to him as that, even when they didn't work for him, did that mean… No. It couldn't be. There was no way anyone would name their child Master Big Star. Right…? "Like a fruit in season, the taste of his heart is strong!"

"Hmph! Enough of your lecturing! You guys are too cocky for being my servants!" Mao yelled, finally tired of them comparing him to his rival leader. "A leader just has to be strong! No matter who your opponent is, hero or not, just don't lose!"

Before the conversation could continue, Cross tapped his boss on the shoulder. "No disrespect Lord Mao, but perhaps we should focus on the Seniors. After all, if a leader needs to be strong, perhaps defeating these Seniors will prove how capable a leader you are."

"…Heh. You've got a point there. Alright! I'll prove to you all that I'm a better Leader than that Master Big Star chump!"

No one needed any more incentive to start fighting. In fact Samantha and Saiduq had already jumped across a small gap and were climbing up a ledge towards three female ninjas armed with bows. They would have been shot had it not been for Juro and Gin laying down cover fire for them and Mei attempting to skewer one of them with her spear, forcing her to move around and not get the chance to fire. While all that was happening, everyone else filed down a small path towards the remaining enemies, glad that they didn't have to deal with arrows as they did.

Waiting for the small group was a group of three Ronin, each brandishing their swords at them. Agnus was the first to attack the small group, almost impaling one of them with his spear before his target blocked him. Dai was next, locking swords with one while trying to get a clear shot with his axe. That left the pink clad spear wielder from Mao's group to deal with the last one, providing enough distraction for Aki and Masaru to slip past.

Since the rest of the team was being held back by a Geo panel force field, the two of them knew they had to find the block responsible for it and destroy it. The only thing in there way was another pair of Ronin, who would clearly charge them the moment they made a move for the block.

"Let me show you what a true Samurai can do." Masaru stated, not as a boast of his own skill, but as a fact. There was no doubt that he would win in his mind. Aki could tell though that he wasn't speaking to his enemies. Instead he was telling him a message. _"I'll handle these guys. You deal with the block."_

Just as expected, when Aki moved towards their target, both the Ronin attacked. True to his word, Masaru moved forward to show them what he was capable of. He immediately proved faster than them by managing to slice through one of the twos kneecap, sending him tumbling to the ground, before raising his sword to block the others attack. While he did all that, Aki slammed his fists into the Geo Block, causing it to shatter into a thousand pieces.

With the block gone, the rest of the team could now get past the barrier of Geo panles and join their allies on the other side. Most of them ran straight up the stairs to deal with the remaining enemies,, though Kirijo and Champloo broke off to help Aki and Masaru. A shot to the back of the head knocked out the enemy Ronin, leaving Masaru's sword free to stab his downed enemy in the gut. With both of them dealt with, Aki and Champloo rushed further down the path, having noticed a second Geo Block earlier. Sure enough, there was one sitting there, infusing its effect to the stairs and the area above.

Speaking of the area above, Champloo noticed that there were at least five ninjas waiting to ambush the team when they got to the top of the stairs. Quietly signalling to Aki, he clasped his hands together and put his back to the wall. Remembering this from his training, Aki jumped and planted his foot on Champloo's hands. The instant he did, Champloo pushed him up, high enough to land on the wall next to the Ninjas who were easily caught off guard by the sudden entrance. It didn't help that they had arranged themselves in the perfect way for him to try out his new attack. Charging energy into his hand, he thrust his palm forward, releasing all the energy in what appeared to be a flaming twister. It didn't go very far, only hitting the three directly in front of him, but it was still too much for any of them to handle. Aki prepared to use the attack again to deal with the remaining two, only to feel two arrows pierce the left side of his chest. How he missed those archers was beyond him, but they had interrupted his attack, giving the other two the perfect chance to respond with a flurry of rapid stabs, far too fast for him to dodge or block. Soon he could take no more and feel from the wall, barley conscious.

Despite the injuries suffered by Aki, his attack had sealed the remaining Ninjas fate. Now that they had attacked, everyone had seen them, including the very accurate Cross. Once again charging his guns with energy he fired an exploding bullet at each of the enemies' heads. Ordinarily, the attack would have badly injured them, but since they were on a thin ledge, it also knocked them to the ground, both landing head first. The archers would have retaliated against Cross had it not been for the fireball slamming into them, incinerating their bows. Quickly after Beryl's attack, the healer of Mao's group fired her own bow at one of them, striking her right in the heart.

While all this had been going on, Champloo had picked up the Geo block and threw it straight at the second archer, knocking her out from the sudden impact. And since the block was gone, its effect vanished from the panels, making the nigh impossible to hit enemies much more vulnerable. This was proven when Saiduq finally managed to land a hit on his enemy, who had spent the last few minutes easily dodging every attack he threw at her. The sudden impact threw her onto one of the many spikes littered around the battlefield, not impaling her, but going straight into her back and rendering her immobile.

Having seen Saiduq's success, Samantha felt her own chances had increased and, before either of them could stop her, grabbed both the remaining archers head and began slamming them together. She only stopped when both of them went limp in her hands, the pain finally proving too much for them.

The group on the stairs meanwhile had split into two smaller groups. The first consisted of Sapphire, the pink clad Ninja girl and Mao's warrior, who had stayed behind to fight a group of female Samurai, each taking one of them. Scarily, Sapphire proved more effective than either of the others, easily forcing her opponent back with savage swings of her axe. The other group had gone to confront the two remaining archers and the enemy leader. Almaz and the Magic Knight immediately leaped at the two archers, forcing them to focus entirely on them. Despite facing enemies with close range weapons, the two were doing a good job of keeping them at bay, using arrows like daggers and dodging their enemies' attempts to separate their limbs from their torsos.

That left Shinji, Mao, Mao's mage and his martial artist to deal with the leader. The fist-fighting man was the first to reach the Samurai at the top of his small tower. He didn't even get a chance to attack before he felt an X shaped cut appear on his chest, followed by a swift kick, sending him flying into the mage, knocking them both out. Even when both Shinji and Mao leaped at him, the Samurai was able to block both their attacks with a single swing of his sword. Even though they surrounded him, he still held an air of confidence about himself, as if their efforts meant less than nothing to him.

On the ground, Agnus was getting tired of the Ronin reputedly blocking his attacks and decided that his spear wasn't quite the tool for this job. So he threw the weapon into the air and slammed both his fists into the ground. A pillar of fire soon erupted at the feet of his opponent, leaving him free to help the girl from Mao's group. The Ronin couldn't b lock two different spears and he was soon full of painful looking holes. Dai meanwhile had managed to force the Senior's blade from his hands before slicing through his gut with both his weapons. With that done, the swordsman collapsed to the ground next to his allies.

Sapphire had also introduced her axe to her opponents flesh in the most painful way possible, while the Ninja punched clean through her enemy's sword and straight into her face. The last one soon found her face being grabbed by a quite angry warrior, who soon found herself flipped over his shoulder and slamming back first into one of the steps. The axe slamming into her lungs provided the final blow for her and meant yet another group of Seniors had been dealt with.

Now there were only three left and while Almaz and the magic knight were now gaining ground, Shinji and Mao were not. Their enemy was very skilled, somehow able to block both their attacks easily, even though they were both on opposite sides of him. Finally deciding enough was enough, Mao tried a charging attack straight at his foe. Naturally this didn't work, as the target just stepped to the side, easily dodging the attack. Knowing that this wasn't getting him anywhere, Shinji decided that it was time to bring out Castor and hopefully end this quickly.

When Castor appeared, it immediately attacked its master's target, slamming straight into the smaller being. In fairness to the Samurai, he did manage to block the attack and actually held it back for a few seconds. But unfortunately for him, his sword was not as strong as he was and snapped in two. As soon as that happened, all the force of the Persona's attack slammed him to the ground. He didn't get back up.

Quickly looking around, Shinji saw that all the Seniors had been defeated, the two archers bellow suffering stab wounds while distracted by his Persona. Letting out a sigh of relief, he dismissed Castor and got ready to move on.

"Look out!" Someone yelled to him. Turning he saw that while his back was turned, the Samurai had somehow risen to his feet and was preparing to stab him with his broken sword. He didn't have enough time to block or dodge and the blade was aimed straight at his heart. He couldn't stop it in time.

Luckily, he didn't have to.

For just before the blade could reach him, there was a bright flash and suddenly many lines appeared along the man's body. They covered every part of him from his face to his feet. Then a second flash appeared and in an instant, all the lines spewed blood and the man's body began to fall into a hundred pieces.

Standing there, with his black katana covered in his victims blood was a man dressed all in black with his hair covering half his face. His lavender eye glared at Shinji, as if his existence offended him.

"You must be pathetic to have not seen that attack coming." He said as he sheathed his sword. "Don't think I'll save you next time."

"Who the Hell are you?" Shinji couldn't help but ask. The man let out an annoyed grunt and turned away from him.

"None of your business. I'm outta here."

"The Hell you are! Why did you kill that guy!? We wanted him alive!"

"And why is that? Because you legitimately wanted him to live, or because you didn't have the guts to kill him?" The man's calm, yet razor sharp tone of voice never wavered and easily got under Shinji's skin.

"What!?"

"I've seen you fight. You never even try to finish your enemies. You always let them live. Are you afraid to get their blood on your hands, even when they wouldn't show you the same mercy?"

"I'm not afraid!"

"Yes, you are! You may act tough but you're just a child who doesn't know what needs to be done to achieve his goals! So go back to the playground, cause you're not fit to fight here till you learn one very important lesson: kill or be killed!" Whoever this guy was, he was raising points that a lot of Shinji's own allies couldn't help but agree with. They weren't afraid to kill, but the only time they'd ever seen him even try to kill someone, it was when Ikutsuki made him so angry he could barely control himself.

"Let's say you're right, that doesn't change the fact you killed someone we needed alive! The longer it takes for us to capture a powerful Senior, the less time I have to get home! There are people I need to protect and anyone who gets in the way is my enemy!"

"Ha! Protect people? If God was kind enough to give you that chance, you wouldn't even be here! How can you hope to protect people when you can't even protect yourself?"

"I'm still here! I have the chance to make up for my failures! Nothing you say can change that!"

"Tch, you're so naïve! You think you're the first person who believes they can make up for their failures? For their sins? Everyone thinks that! And just like them, someday you're gonna realise that your chance faded a long time ago!"

The two's argument was becoming increasingly heated. It was only a matter of time before one of them tried to attack the other and no body needed that right now. Sensing the incoming danger, Beryl tried to intervene. "Wait! You two are both fighting for the same cause! Sometimes the truest allies are ones born from mutual enemies! Please, put aside your differences and fight as one!"

The man in black scoffed at this. "You think I honestly care what happens to this place? I don't, the only reason I'm here is because my job makes me be here. If I had a say in the matter, I'd leave you all to rot. Now you pathetic losers have wasted enough of my time."

And before anyone could stop him, he vanished, as if he was never there. Still angry, Shinji looked around, his eye silently asking anyone to tell him who the Hell that guy was. With an uncertain look on his face, Masaru decided to answer him. "I'm not certain but I think he's a man whose existence has been rumoured for a while."

"Just tell me who. He. Is?" Shinji uttered through clenched teeth.

"If I'm right, he's known as the 'Black Demon Hunter'."


	28. Chapter 27 – Clouded Crystal

**Chapter 27 – Clouded Crystal**

* * *

"What can you tell me about him?" Shinji asked Masaru, who was the only one who felt comfortable enough to approach him and cared enough to explain things to him.

"Not much. Till now he's just been a rumour spread around the campus. To be honest I thought people were talking about me since his description and mine were pretty similar. Guess I was wrong." Masaru responded, his voice filled with apathy. Those who were still listening got the feeling he really didn't care and was just answering because he was asked to.

"Then tell me the rumours." He knew he shouldn't suppress his anger, but yelling at his own allies wouldn't help him. Then again, anyone could tell he was annoyed just from his voice, so trying to hide it wasn't really necessary.

"They say he shows up at seemingly random times to kill Demons, but only certain ones. He's probably an assassin of some sort. Or he's settling some grudge. Frankly, I don't know and for once in my life I don't care. He's not our problem."

"And what if he is our problem?"

"Then kill him. You can do that, right?" The way he said that implied he wasn't questioning Shinji, he was challenging him. "After all, someone as determined as you should have no problem getting his hands dirty. Right?"

He understood why Masaru was asking this. Looking around, all the rest of his allies were silently asking him the same thing, ' _Could you do it?'_ Thinking about it, he didn't have an answer. He'd tried to kill Ikutsuki but that was a personal fight against someone who endangered people he cared about. Could he do the same for others? Clearly the others wanted to know.

"I… I don't know…" Was the only answer he could give that wouldn't be a complete lie.

Masaru merely shook his head. "Indecision will get you killed. You'd better decide whether or not you're willing to do whatever it takes, because I won't follow someone who holds back when he needs to go all out."

Shinji would have said something to try to convince the Ronin that he should keep working with him, if at that moment Champloo didn't walk around the corner carrying a badly bleeding Aki. The moment he saw how injured his best friend was, Masaru immediately rushed over to him, showing the first sign of worry Shinji had ever seen from him. "Aki! Aki, are you ok!?"

"He took quite the slicing. If you don't get him back to safety, this ingredient's going to expire!"

"O-okay. I'll get him out of here." After hearing this, Champloo slung his former pupil on to Masaru's back and the swordsman began carrying him back to the portal. He didn't even look at the others when he left and he was gone before anyone could stop him.

"It's no surprise he's like that." Juro said, having somehow gotten right next to him without being noticed. "Aki once helped him through a tough time in his life. Ever since then, Aki's safety's been one of his top priorities."

"What happened?"

"Don't know. He wouldn't tell us. All we know is something happened and he had a lot of anger to work out. Aki challenged him to a fight and together they worked out his anger. I don't think even Aki knows why he was angry, but he helped him anyway."

Shinji couldn't believe what he was hearing. Not just because he was being told that Masaru, the most emotionless person he'd met in the Netherworld was even capable of anger, but also because the story was so similar. Not only did it sound just like his own fight with Castor but it also reminded him of another moment from his life, one that happened so long ago, back when he still lived at the orphanage. He didn't remember why he was angry that day, but he did remember lashing out against everyone he saw. Then some white haired kid stood up to him. The two fought for who knows how long. But when it was over he wasn't angry anymore and he and the white haired kid were laughing.

And that's how Akihiko Sanada became the closest thing he had to a brother.

Shinji couldn't help but let out a low chuckle at the similarities between the two stories. Maybe it was some sort of sign. Maybe he was meant to meet these two. Either way, he would need an answer to Masaru's question for the next time he saw them. Till then, he'd keep moving.

Speaking of which, it looked like that was what Mao was doing right now. In fact he was leaving at a surprising speed. He could just make out people saying something involving Sapphire and a chainsaw. Part of him wanted to ask about it, but his sanity prevented him from doing so. While he was preparing to leave himself, he noticed that some of Mao's people were being sent back as well due to injuries. The Mage and the Martial artist were carried off by the Warrior and Magic knight , who themselves probably wouldn't be back for a while.

All in all, it hadn't been a great start to the battle and now they were down six people. He could only hope that they had enough people for their next battle.

* * *

It wasn't long before something else happened. The group had been walking for a while now and not seen anything. Almaz seemed bothered by something while Mao was trying to keep his distance from Sapphire for some reason. There was an unmistakable tension in Shinji's group, all of them thinking about the Black Demon Hunter's words. Since everyone was so deep in thought, they were all caught completely off guard when a girl with pinkish white hair dressed in a dark pink Gothic Lolita outfit dropped in front of them. Her arms were covered in bandages and there was no sign of a weapon on her.

Surprised at this, everyone drew their weapons and pointed them at the mysterious girl. At the sight of all these people ready to attack her, she immediately collapsed to her knees and started crying. "Please don't hurt me! I don't want to die!"

Putting their weapons away, Shinji, Kirijo and Almaz approached her. Shinji gently placed his hand on her head. "We're not here to hurt you."

"Y-you're not?" She asked, tears still flowing down her cheeks. Kirijo smiled at her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Of course not. I can't imagine why someone would want to hurt such a cute girl." The mystery girl couldn't help but blush and try to hide herself behind Shinji's arm. When this happened, Almaz turned to the others.

"We have to get her to safety, this is no place for her." At hearing this Mao got annoyed.

"If she doesn't belong here, she'd have been smart enough to stay away!"

"But what if she didn't have a chance to? What if she just got caught up in all this and couldn't get away?"

"Then she's weak and shouldn't be in the Academy at all!"

While Mao argued with his allies, Shinji tried to talk to the girl. "They're right, it's dangerous here. There's a portal nearby, if you make it there, you can get to safety."

Instead of moving, the girl grabbed on to his arm even tighter. "No! It's scary alone! Please, don't leave me alone!"

Kirijo shrugged at him and no one else could give him any advice on what to do. Releasing a deep sigh, he stood up, pulling the girl up with him. "Alright. You can stay with us for now. But when we get back, I'm finding a safe place for you, ok?"

The girl wiped her eyes and gave a weak nod. "T-thank you. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up."

Not releasing her hand from his own, Shinji began leading her down the path they were walking. "You got a name?"

"M-my name? Ummm… Ciel. What's yours?"

"Shinjiro."

"Thank you, Shinjiro."

The others followed soon after. For reasons that even she wasn't sure about Mei couldn't help but feel uneasy around this girl. Unfortunately for her, the only one to notice this was Juro. "Jealous that the boss is being so nice to her?"

"Why would I be?"

"Ok, you don't have to say it. But if ya need someone to talk to…" Mei walked off before he could finish, her gaze fixed on Ciel. Was she jealous? Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way, she wasn't letting this girl out of her sight till she figured it out.

* * *

After a few more minutes of walking, the group stumbled across a battlefield. Ninjas, Magic Knight and Exorcists stood before them.

"Greetings are the building blocks of manners! Can't do it? Then kill them!" One of them yelled out.

"Don't worry. We'll clean up all the corpses! Please help us by recycling!" Another soon shouted.

Looking to the other side of a small bridge that split the field in half, were a group of Sophomores. They looked to be in a much worse state than the nigh uninjured Senior forces. "Dammit! We're hit! Medic! We got dragged into the dreadful volunteer activities of the Seniors!"

"Who cares about contributing to society?! We don't care to respect our elders! I'll never give up my seat to them!"

The Seniors seemed unfazed by the Sophomores comments. "I find that to donate is to die! We'll make them join a charity drive! Charge into the main Sophomore forces!"

"A blood donation purge against Honour Students! Put your right hand over your heart, and charge!"

From the main Sophomore battlements came a familiar, elegant voice. "The time has come to counterattack! The target is the main Senior forces! The loud greeting and sports squads! Listen! Do not forget I am with you! Believe in me! Trust the evil fiend next to you! Take back your freedom!"

Master Big Star's speech had exactly the intended effect and all his subordinates let out a confident "Yeaaahhhhhh!"

Despite their enemies becoming three times as confident, the Seniors still believed whole heartedly that they would win. "Fools! Easily led into our trap! Seems this is going to be Master Big Star's grave!"

"We just need to get rid of Master Big Star. Then no one can prevent us from reaching our goal to defeat the Overlord!"

While all this had been going on, Shinji and Mao's collective forces had been watching in silence. Almaz was the first to break the silence. "Looks pretty crazy out there."

" _Understatement of the century."_

"Hmm. It seems the Seniors are winning." Sapphire chimed in, also managing to downplay the situation. Despite their morale boost, the Sophomores were hopelessly outclasses and outnumbered.

"Hmph. He said all that stuff about my potential and whatnot, and look what good he can do." Mao said, unconcerned that potential allies were being slaughtered and caring only about his own pride. Honestly, if he weren't helpful and Shinji didn't trust Almaz's word, he probably would have tried to beat the little brat and continue on his own. Thankfully, before he could do that, the Sophomore leader approached them.

"There you are, Overlord's son. Seems you've managed to clean up the remnants. Somewhat useful, I see."

"Even now, you act tough. The way I see it, you're going to lose this war. But if you can bring the Senior's warships here, maybe we'll back you up. Muhahaha! Now, what will it be!?" The smug way he said that managed to annoy over half the people there, but only Big Star spoke.

"Seriously… How inelegant can you be? Your help is but a piece of glass that was dropped on a moonless night… I'm not so foolish as to pick up something so fragile without a plan." He had to admit, the way this guy could still talk so confidently was impressive. Absolutely insane, but impressive.

"What!? You're okay with losing like this!?"

"Even if the chance of winning is 0%, it's a leader's role to make it 100%! I doubt you would understand that!" With that single belief, this Demon had forever earned Shinji's respect. It reminded him of SEES's twin leaders and how neither of them would ever give up, even when defeat seemed inevitable. Just like them, Master Big Star was a true leader and one he would ensure won this war.

Beryl figured that interrupting would be a good idea, lest Mao attack someone who could be of great help to them "Guys! Stop battling with your egos! You're both Class Leaders! If you can cooperate, we can get through this! Yesterday's enemies are today's friends! A true friendship sprouts on the field of battle! At least, I believe so!"

She had amazing faith to believe that would work, especially after it failed last time she tried it. Naturally, it didn't convince Mao. "There's no need for such an eerie thing to sprout anywhere! I do things alone!"

Now that was just stupid. How could someone claim to fight alone but surround himself with enough allies to form a military unit. Regardless Champloo chose that exact moment to interrupt. "Kiiiiiaaaaahhhhh! Two tastes may seem repelling at first sight! However, an unexpected combo can bring out the best tastes at times! If you both have time to argue over excuses, try tasting it first!"

Then something unexpected happened. The ground started shaking and all fighting stopped temporarily as everyone tried to stay on their feet. After a few seconds a spike of pure crystal shot out from the ground, nearly impaling Shinji as it did. The only reason it didn't was because he felt the ground move beneath him and he jumped out of the way, dragging a now screaming Ciel with him.

He didn't have a moment to relax as a second spike emerged, aiming for his side, narrowly missing Ciel as it rose. A quick roll saved his life but he knew that whatever was happening, it wasn't over. More spikes were emerging from the ground, seeming to target everyone in the area. All the fighting had stopped for the moment as everyone was forced to dodge the purple crystals that were rapidly engulfing the battlefield.

He was more than thankful when Saiduq grabbed him and pulled him to his feet, especially when the area he had been resting on just a second ago was now occupied by another of the mysterious crystals. For whatever reason, the crystals seemed to be appearing around Ciel more than anyone else and she was too terrified to move. He'd be damned if he didn't save he so, without a thought for his own safety, he rushed towards her, desperate to protect something with his life. She was surrounded by so many of the crystals that she was practically in a prison made of it. When he finally reached her, the gaps between them were too thin for him to fit through, though her slimmer form might still be able to pull it off. So he extended his arm as far as he could and yelled out to her. "Ciel! Take my hand!"

Shaking, the pink haired girl looked up at him, her fear keeping her from moving. "S-shinjiro-san… P-please…"

Her shaking voice made him try to force his arm even closer to her. But then something happened that made his blood chill.

Ciel's stopped shaking and a sadistic grin spread across her face. "I don't know how to put this but… DIE!"

When she said that, the ground shook again and another spike emerged from behind him... With his arm so far in to the makeshift cage, there was no way he could dodge it. How could he make this mistake? Was he such a fool that he had essentially handed her his life, and then feel surprised when she ripped it to shreds? He felt everything slow down as the spike approached him, it was moving too fast to outrun, even if he moved as fast as he could. And even if he wanted to, Ciel had grabbed onto his arm and was pulling on it, keeping him from moving.

This was it.

There was no way out.

Only death waited for him now.

He couldn't say it wasn't a familiar feeling…

"SHINJI!"

The yell pierced his ears just as something darted in front of him. He realised what was about to happen just before he could do anything about it. "NO!"

The crystal never reached him. Mei's body slowed it down too much. He watched as her blood flowed down to the ground and her arms became limp next to her. His ally had just risked her life to save him. She didn't need to wear Hamuko's face for it to hurt him down to his soul.

Rage consumed him and he pulled on his arm as hard as he could. Ciel was surprisingly strong, but even she was no match for the strength he possessed when he was angry, and he easily slammed her into her own crystals. The sudden impact forced her hands off him and, without missing a beat, he pulled Mei off the crystal and tried to get her somewhere safe.

A wall of crystal stopped him in his tracks. Rapidly turning he saw Ciel had recovered and dismissed the crystals around herself. Now she was advancing on her slowly, her smile never leaving her face. In fact, she seemed happier than ever. "AHAHAHAHAHA! That pain filled expression suits you perfectly! Bet you're upset that you can't claim your "Hero's reward" from me!"

He knew what she meant, but he was too pissed to feel upset, or even embarrassed. Everyone else was cut off from him when the crystal wall appeared. It was just clear enough that he could see the vague shape of Dai trying to break through it with his axe, but it seemed to have no effect. And if that guy couldn't break something, chances were it wouldn't break at all. If he wanted to save Mei, he'd have to get rid of it.

And he could think of only one way to do it.

Resting Mei down as gently as he could, he removed his coat and placed it over her. He felt strange not wearing it, but right now she needed it more. Offering a silent prayer to anyone who would listen, he rose to his feet and grabbed his axe. He had to settle this quickly. To help him do that, he discarded the tattered bulletproof vest to give himself a little extra speed, leaving him in his long sleeved black shirt. He felt vulnerable but he'd seen what the crystals would do and he doubted that thing would do anything but slow him down.

Now there was nothing left to do but charge. His mistake had endangered another's life.

He would make amends for this. Even if it cost him his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ciel is property of Mirai666. Here is her character sheet:
> 
> Ciel  
> Title: Cruel Psychopath  
> Voice: Leah Clark  
> Weapons: Monster type  
> Skills: Debuff skills and Ice and Star spells up to Omega  
> Crystalized thorn whip (Ciel creates a long and sharp whip made of crystals and starts whipping the enemies mercilessly while laughing maliciously, then she wraps the enemies with her whip and repeatedly bangs them on the ground until finally she sends them high in the air and sending them back to the ground with crystal spikes emerging from the ground, piercing the enemies.) Description: Is she a dominatrix? Range: 6 (6 tiles, inflicts poison)  
> Crystal Boundaries of Emptiness (Ciel summons several purple crystalline swords and manipulates the swords to stab the enemies, then while the enemies are speared by the swords, Ciel blasts her opponents with a barrage of sharp crystal rocks until there are purple powder dust surrounding them which creates a huge mountain of purple crystals, trapping the enemies inside. Finally the crystals slowing cracks and completely breaks and disintegrate and consumes the surrounding enemies in a black void.) Description: This shows how cruel she really is! Range: 10 (4 targets in a cross, chance of deprave)  
> Appearance: She has the appearance of a sweet, innocent, serene and cute young girl despite being a demon. She has pinkish white hair that is kept in a girlish twin tail style, which are secured with matching black ribbons with two red roses in the middle of the ribbon. She also has pointy ears and bluish violet eyes that seems to be quite innocent, but can turn to a crazed expression once she drops her façade. She wears a black and dark pink Gothic Lolita short dress that has elegant sleeves with red rose ribbons, black and dark pink frills and white quilling's. Her hands are covered in bandages to give out a 'frail' appearance. She wears red and black roses around her neck. She also wears long black stockings with rose pattern designs and red Mary-Jane-like shoes that buckle over the top of the foot and around the ankle. Despite her aura of innocence and cute looks, there is more to her that meets the eye...  
> Description: A mysterious girl. At first glance, she appears to be an extremely shy and gentle girl who stands at odds with the place she is held in. In truth, this reserved, innocent and quiet personality is just a ruse that she projects to make those around her feel secure, and to mask her true nature; that of a calculating, merciless, sadistic psychopath who has an extremely twisted personality and has no value for the life and only cares about relieving herself of boredom. She is very sadistic and is willing to kill and sacrifice anything or anyone for her own amusement as well as being exceedingly playfully cruel as she enjoys witnessing others suffering and repeatedly tortures others until she gets bored of them and kills them. She will join anyone who has a sick and deranged that involves killing only for the condition for the person she follows to keep on being interesting and entertaining, until the person outlived their usefulness of being her entertainment that she will get bored and kill them herself. Despite her being twisted, she gets along well with others who are just as deranged and sadistic as her with a sick view on life.  
> Evility: Crystal Fragments (Increases normal and special attacks' range per enemies on the field, but spell effects are reduced)


	29. Chapter 28 – Face of a Mask

**Chapter 28 – Face of a Mask**

* * *

He wasn't surprised that Ciel tried to impale him with her crystals again. Actually, he'd been hoping she would. It proved that she was focussed on him and wasn't trying to hit Mei. On the other hand, his axe couldn't break them, so he was forced to either dodge or use his axe as a shield to block the blow long enough to outrun it. So far she'd only attacked from the sides, which had made it easier to dodge her spikes, but wasn't what he was hoping for.

No, he was hoping for something much… riskier.

Finally, when he was only a few feet away, she decided that now was the time to end this battle. Focussing, she created a huge crystal spire directly in front of him. If he didn't dodge at the exact right moment, he would be impaled by it and all he had fought for would have been for nothing.

Just before the spike reached his face, he bent back as far as he could, the crystal barely missing his forehead, cutting his hat but missing him by barely a millimetre. But he made no efforts to move afterwards. Instead he did something that Ciel could honestly say she didn't expect. Just as the spire roared past him, he extended his arm and grabbed onto it and she could ony watch as it carried him high into the sky, high enough for everyone to see him.

The moment the crystal stopped he pulled himself up with all his strength and planted his feet on the clean cut surface. And just like he expected, he started to slide down it, the combination of the angle and the fact that he was standing on such a smooth platform causing him to reach incredible speeds in an incredibly short amount of time. Ciel tried to create more spikes to stop him now that he couldn't dodge them, but he was moving so fast he just soared past them.

Just as before, she realised this wasn't working and once again tried to strike him from the front, anticipating that there was no way he could stop himself before he hit it. And she was right, he didn't stop.

He just jumped over it and continued flying at her at incredible speeds. She barely had enough time to summon two crystals over her head to stop him from slamming into her with the sped of a bullet and the force of a bulldozer. Even then, he still struck with enough forces to push the crystals back into the earth and a distinct crater to form where she had once stood.

Ordinarily, that kind of impact would have killed the target. Unfortunately, Ciel was far from normal and she soon forced the crystals off of her, both of them slamming Shinji back as they did. She was bleeding a little, but the psychotic girl still looked ready to fight. And that smile. That damned smile was still on her face, still as creepy as ever.

"That's it! Go all out! It just makes it more fun when I finally kill you!" Her last word was accompanied by her summoning a whip made of hundreds of tiny crystals, some jutting out to form small spikes, and then swinging it with enough force that it wrapped around Shinji's chest and arms. Since it was so close to his shoulders, it was nigh impossible for him to break free, not helped by the numerous spikes digging into his flesh.

Ciel gave a maniacal laugh as he struggled in vain. "YES! Suffer more! Just watching you suffer gives me such pleasure! Come on! SCREAM FOR ME!"

With a sharp tug, Ciel lifted Shinji over her head and slammed him into the ground with tremendous force. Then, before he could recover, she did it again, this time slamming him into the side of one of the spires she had summoned before immediately changing directions and spinning him around over her head. When she finally got bored of doing that, she finally slammed him down, directly onto a nest of spikes, each of them stabbing into his back, some of them going all the way through his chest. All he could fell was pain flowing throughout his entire body. He wanted to scream, but he refused to give his enemy the satisfaction.

She seemed pleased though, the sight of his blood flowing making her giggle almost in ecstasy. "Ohhhh~! No matter how many times I see it, that's still the most beautiful thing I'll ever see~! I mean, maybe if HE were taking your place it'd be different but… Ahhh~! It's just such a wondrous sight!"

He could only groan in response, to do any more would make her even happier, and he REALLY didn't want that. His hat fell from his head but that was hardly the most pressing matter at the time. Naturally Ciel soon got bored of watching him lie perfectly still on a bed of spikes and turned her attention back to Mei, who was still unconscious. Summoning her whip again, she slowly advanced on the dying Demon, her joy at the prospect of killing her shining brightly.

He had to hurry, his strength was fading fast. There was only one option left. He could just flex his hand enough to feel the glowing card float into it. The moment he did, Castor appeared above him, his form flickering as if he would fade at any moment. Not wasting time, he ordered the Persona to stop Ciel at all costs.

Castor complied with the order and immediately charged at the rose haired girl. Turning around, she was more than happy to attack the being with her whip.

The second it collided with Castor's body, it shattered like glass, the Persona not even slowing down. She wasn't smiling now. She'd never seen anything break her crystals before. Suddenly, genuine fear entered her mind. If she didn't get out of the way, this thing was going to kill her.

Doing the first thing that came to mind, she summoned a giant spire underneath herself, carrying her far above the charging apparition's range of attack. That didn't change the fact that when Castor collided with the pillar, it too shattered, sending the upper half tumbling to the ground. Ciel landed less than gracefully, but managed to avoid serious injury.

The real problem was that Castor had slammed into the wall she had created, cracking it. Another hit and the whole thing would shatter and in her current state she couldn't afford to fight all the people still trying to get through. She had to stop that thing somehow.

Then she noticed Shinji and the mysterious being were emitting the same glow. She highly doubted that was a coincidence. Running at incredible speed, she summoned an extra sharp, sword sized crystal and grabbed it as she darted past. Then, with Castor right on her tail, she lifted it over her head and swung down.

Castor vanished.

And something blood soaked fell to the ground.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR RRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH HHHHHH!"

"Heh heh heh~. Even though I missed, I finally made you scream~." The words barely reached him, all he could feel was pain. He didn't want to believe what he knew to be true. With what little strength he had, he looked over to his right arm.

Or rather, where his right arm used to be.

Now, there was just a stump just below his elbow. The pain and shock were unimaginable. The blood flowed like a stream and he could tell that if he didn't stop it soon, missing an arm would be the least of his worries.

The blade-like crystal struck again, this time stabbing straight through his left hand. Ciel simply smiled down at him before leaving the blade there. With his right hand gone, his left hand impaled and his body too weak to summon Castor, there was no way for him to free himself. Ciel knew this as several more sword shaped crystals began floating around her, their tips all pointing at him.

He had to escape, but that was impossible. He had to save Mei, but he couldn't find the strength. He had to make it home, but it seemed too far away. Now it was even too much for him to keep his eyes open. He could feel his mind slowing down as his body leaked blood all over the ground. The last thing he saw was Ciel raising her arm, ready to send her blades straight into his heart. But he could do nothing to stop her.

* * *

"You're seriously giving up?"

That sentence felt like a jolt of electricity going through his mind and he felt his eyes snap wide open. He was surprised to find that he was standing on the very same platform he had stood on when he faced Castor and finally gained control over it. Sure enough, the being in question stood before him, his mask still missing from their battle.

"Weren't you the one who was so determined to never lose? Weren't you the one who did everything he could just to get a shot at making it home? Where'd that bravado go?"

"In case you didn't notice, SHE CUT OFF MY ARM!"

"So? You must have known that there would be consequences to your actions! Did you really think you could wage war throughout an entire world and not suffer for it!?"

"I'm not the one who vanished when shit hit the fan!"

"I only did because you were too weak to sustain me!"

"Do you want my job!? Do you want to be the one who gets the shit beaten out of him every day, just on the slim hope that something good will happen if he endures it!?"

"…And what if I could be?" the statement, mixed with the sudden change in Castor's attitude made Shinji confused. He stared at the Persona, waiting for it to answer him. Castor chose to walk up to him before doing so. "You hold me before your face, but a mask is meant to be worn. You can hide behind me, but my true strength goes to the ones who becomes me."

"Either give a straight answer or shut up."

"Hmph. You always summon me, like I'm some separate being. But what if instead, you and I became one? My strength, your body." Shinji couldn't help but take a step back when he heard this.

"T-that… That's possible!?"

"Yes, though only to those strong enough to contain A personas power within their own flesh. Despite your injuries, you possess that strength, but only enough to last a few minutes."

"Is it… Safe?"

"You will suffer no consequences from the fusion. However I must warn you, it won't be you calling the shots out there."

His mind was racing. If he accepted Castor's offer, he might just stand a chance. On the other hand, Castor had killed before and there was no guarantee he wouldn't lose his temper again. But what could he do? If he didn't accept, he would die and so would Mei. He HAD to take this chance.

"…Okay. I'll do it."

Castor smiled at this before placing his hands on the Shinji's shoulders. "Repeat after me. I accept the mask to become my face…"

"I accept the mask to become my face…"

"I give my form to the being within…"

"I give my form to the being within…"

"I accept my other self as me! We shall rise together!"

"I accept my other self as me! We shall rise together!"

Light filled the void they stood in. Quickly it engulfed all as Shinji felt something enter his mind and mix with his own.

* * *

In the real world, not a single second had passed. Ciel had her arm raised high over her head and the crystal swords floated around her, eager to strike their prey. After waiting a moment, she finally decided to put him out of his misery, as painfully as possible.

But just as she lowered her arms and the blades travelled forwards, a huge shockwave was emitted from the unconscious warrior, blasting her and her blades back. Looking up, she couldn't believe what she saw. Somehow, Shinjiro was pulling himself off the crystals she had impaled him with and was getting to his feet. Turning around, he stared at her, his eyes now a bright gold. After seeing his target, he stared down at the stump where his arm used to be. After releasing a small chuckle, he began shaking and, with resounding force, a new arm shot out of the wound, this one much more muscular than the previous one. Breathing heavily, he clenched his fist and the rest of his muscles expanded to match his arm. After admiring his new form for a moment, he released a sinister smile as his gaze returned to his enemy.

"Tch. Muscles or not, you can't beat me Shinjiro!" Ciel screamed before sending another spike towards him. He made no effort to dodge it as it got closer and closer. Then, when it was close enough, he swung his arm and punched it head on. It shattered in an instant.

"You're not dealing with Shinjiro anymore." He spoke, just as his hair changed to a pale blond colour and grew to such lengths that it reached his waist. "I. Am. CASTOR!"

He moved so fast she could barely see him move. All her efforts to stop him were in vain, as her attacks couldn't even penetrate his skin. She was just as defenceless when he finally got to her and slammed his fist into her gut with all his strength. The sheer force was enough to send her flying back into her own wall with enough momentum to break it. Everyone watched as she sailed over head before crashing into the Sophomore's battlements.

She barely had a chance to stand before Castor body slammed her, with enough force for the ground to crack. While pain still griped her body, Castor lifted her into the air and began repeatedly reintroducing her back to the fractured floor.

Many had stopped to watch what was happening, the battle with the Seniors having ended a while ago. Some of them were tempted to help defeat Ciel, but fear of what they could only assume was Shinjiro, held them back. They didn't want to risk becoming his target. Only Sapphire and the remaining healer weren't watching the fight. They had instead slipped to the other side of the wall and began healing Mei's wound. The damage to her body was severe and numerous tiny crystal shards were embedded in her. They didn't have the power to heal the wound completely, but they could stabilise her long enough to reach a proper medic.

Castor had finally grown bored of dealing sever damage to Ciel's back and, sensing that his time was short, decided that now was the time to end this battle. Throwing the dazed girl across his shoulders, he pressed down on her head and legs, stretching her back as far and as painfully as he could. When he finally decided she was in enough pain, he leaped into the air, so high and so fast that most of the spectators to the battle could hardly believe their eyes. After reaching what had to have been at least a hundred feet, he finally stopped and began to descend. As he did, he twisted his body so his legs were pointing up and that he would land on his back. Or at least he would have if he didn't still have Ciel stretched across it.

When he landed, the entire battlefield shook and almost everyone was propelled back by the blast. When the dust cleared, a huge crater had formed, stopping just short of the bridge, which had been devastated by the shockwave. In the centre of the crater was Castor, still smiling with an almost sadistic glee, and Ciel, who was lucky that she had survived being crushed between the ground and a gravity propelled man that would make some Demon's feel small in comparison.

"Was that to your liking Shinjiro? I know I had a lot of fun!" He said to his other self, not bothering to get off of Ciel.

" _I think you went a little overboard…"_

"It worked didn't it?" Shinji was about to yell at him for putting the fight before helping Mei, when someone interrupted.

"That was glorious! Such power! Such ferocity! You're perfect!" Castor barely glanced at the new arrival. The one who spoke was a man with golden blonde hair and extremely noticeable blue eyes. He wore a blue sleeveless hoodie over a white t shirt. His read jeans were rolled to halfway up his calves and had a noticeable contrast against his dark green shoes. A pair of white headphones hung around his neck with lightning bolts decorating them. He was smiling with barely contained joy. "I've been looking for someone strong like you! This'll be fun!"

The mystery figure cracked his knuckles before drawing an axe and walking towards Castor, who merely rolled his eyes at this. "So, you're in a hurry to die? OK, I can obl-"

Before he could finish, a sharp pain surged through him. Looking at his arm, he could feel it fading away. His muscles were shrinking and his hair was returning to its normal size and colour. "N-no! I need more time!"

But no matter how hard he fought, his time had run out. If he stayed in Shinji's body any longer, his power would overload it. He had already pushed it to its limit and now it was pushing him out. When he collapsed, Shinjiro was back in control, his hair brown, his body normal and his arm once again missing. The newcomer looked disappointed.

"So, you're just a host body for a stronger being? Then you're as good as trash!" In anger, he raised his axe to kill the unconscious man. The only reason he didn't was that he felt a bullet his him in the shoulder. How Kirijo pulled that shot off from that distance was anyone's guess, but the important fact was that he had gotten the man's attention off of Shinji.

Or at least long enough for Agnus to reach him and begin trying to skewer him with his spear. Dai soon joined in, followed by Saiduq and Samantha. They didn't know how skilled this guy was but there was no way he could dodge and block the attacks of all four of them for long. Eventually, he had reached the centre of the crater, where Ciel's harsh breathing could still be heard.

He knew that he couldn't win against all these enemies, but Ciel had a unique power, one his allies could use. The moment he got the chance, he grabbed the injured girl and somehow managed to jump straight over Dai's head and landed in the same portal he had come out of. It closed before anyone could follow him.

Kirijo rushed to Shinji's side. "Aragaki! Aragaki, answer me!"

Only a pained moan answered him, but that was enough. The important thing was that he was alive. To make things better, Allowing Castor into his body had apparently sealed his wounds, so he wasn't at risk of bleeding to death before they could get him healed. Feeling that he had to get Shinji back to safety, he quickly grabbed the Persona user's one good arm and slung it across his shoulders. Turning to the Demons who were gathered around him, he got the distinct impression that they were waiting for him to say something.

"Someone grab Mei and take her to the infirmary, the rest of you should stay with Mao and help resolve this situation. Agnus, Aragaki told me you'd been a leader in the past. You guide the others for now." Agnus nodded at this and Juro had already run off to get Mei. The others looked like there was something they wanted to say, but couldn't find the right words.

"What… What do we do about… That?" Samantha finally said, while signalling towards where Shinji's right arm used to be.

"If you can retrieve it, do so. Other than that… Just hope that something can be done for him."

No one said a word. Kirijo took that as his cue to leave, as Juro had already done. As he walked, he gazed down at the younger man. He couldn't help but feel that this was his fault. If he had just stopped the experiments, Shinjiro wouldn't even be here. He'd be home, his arm still attached to his body, his hands clean of blood and the girl he loved so much by his side. But thinking about what ifs and blaming himself wasn't what Shinji needed. Right now he needed a doctor and Kirijo would make sure he got to one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Castor is officially counted as a separate unit to Shinji, and therefore has his own character sheet. Here it is:
> 
> Castor  
> Title: Persona  
> Weapon types: None  
> Skills:  
> Fatal End (Castor jumps into the air and slams onto his enemies) Description: Too… Heavy… Range: 1  
> Crushing blow (Castor lifts his opponents onto his shoulders before jumping into the air and crashing back down on top of them) Description: He's a fan of wrestling. Range: 1  
> Last Charge (Castor transforms into his Persona form and rushes through his enemies) Description: This is his true self! Range: 9 (Triangle formation) (Note: Use of this attack will automatically turn Castor back into Shinjiro)  
> Description: The result of Shinjiro fusing with his Persona. He loves to fight and is nigh unstoppable. He fights only with his hands as he hates weapons. Because of how powerful he is, Shinjiro's body can only sustain him for a few minutes at a time. He has an irrational fear of spears.  
> Evility: True Power (Triples all stats, but is replaced by Shinjiro after three turns.)


	30. Chapter 29 – Abandoning the Past

**Chapter 29 – Abandoning the Past**

* * *

His head hurt like hell. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked around. He knew this place. It was the Moonlight Bridge, one of the most recognisable areas of Tatsumi Port Island. The whole place was bathed in a dark green glow and pools of blood could be seen everywhere.

" _So your minds made up?"_

Turning, he could see Akihiko behind him, his SEES band across his arm. He looked about a year younger than when Shinji last saw him. It must have been another dream.

" _Yeah."_

" _But you have such potential! We need you Shinji!"_

" _I killed someone Aki! IT killed someone! How can I trust it ever again!?"_

" _You're strong Shinji! You can control it!"_

" _What if I can't!? Not everything's about strength! I think you've forgotten that."_

Akihiko didn't answer, he just looked to the ground, a sad anger flowing through him. But the Shinji of the past didn't care, he just wanted to get away from it all.

So he ran. He ran until he couldn't see his friend anymore. But no matter how far he ran, he'd never escape himself. He'd never escape what he did.

He rose his hands to his face, only to feel one of them fade away. His body had changed to how it was now, meaning his right arm was once again gone.

But that was irrelevant at the time. What WAS relevant was the group of ten men standing in front of him in a circular pattern. All of them were dressed in long, white coats and had dark blonde hair and rectangular glasses. Each one was holding a bow and was pointing it into the centre of the ring. The tenth man however didn't do so, his bow pointed at the ground, a look of concern on his face. Something about this one looked familiar.

Looking inside the ring, he could see two more people, one a man with black hair, and the second a woman with white hair. Both of them were injured and had the men pointing their bows at them. Just after he saw them, they both vanished.

One by one, the archers vanished as well till only two remained. As each one vanished something about the tenth archer changed. His glasses vanished, his hair turned darker and messier. Finally his coat was replaced by a poncho as a hat appeared on his head. He dropped his bow and pulled out a gun, pointed straight at the one remaining archer who raised his own bow in response.

Now he knew why that one archer looked so familiar. It was Juro, though who knows how long ago it was. He didn't know what was going on between these two, but he got the feeling that it was important.

And just like with the last three dreams, the two began speaking. "Two pasts have come to join each other, leading to the same future. The lost reaper is bound by blood. To break free, he must abandon his past."

When they finished speaking, the two began to flicker between their current forms and another, much different form. The mystery archer seemed to turn into a skeleton dressed in an elaborate robe, carrying a bow made of scythe blades and an arrow made of bones. Juro on the other hand became a man in a tattered trenchcoat wrapped in chains. With the exception of one eye its entire face was covered in cloth. His gun had also changed into a revolver with a barrel so long it was pressed directly into the other beings face and a second one could be seen in its other hand.

Before either of them could attack everything turned pitch black. There was no sign of anything around him. The images flooded his mind once more but this time, only one stood out to him, the newest one. He didn't know what it was but it terrified him.

The image showed some sort of monster with long, black arms that resembled bones more than flesh with equally disturbing clawed hands. Its legs were almost mechanical, with what looked like armour from the knees down, ending in sharp, dagger-like points. Its face was now a mix of black and grey and, along with the rest of its body was covered in red lines that resembled cracks. Black and white flames danced around its head and resembled hair in how they moved. Black bones sprouted from its back and took the form of wings which were leaking a mysterious black liquid.

It seemed to be wearing a black with red outline, skin tight leotard, which cut off just before it reached her shoulders. Over that appeared to be a blood soaked cloak and on its neck was a choker with an equally bloody chain. Chains were also wrapping around her shoulders which overlapped to form what looked like a cross. Hanging from one hand was what looked like a string of coffins, chained to its wrist by a shackle.

He wasn't sure what about it scared him, or perhaps it was all of it, but he didn't want to look at it. Just as he felt like his mind was going to break from seeing it, he felt something embrace him. He didn't even have to look to know who it was, and just her being there put his mind at ease. He gently accepted the embrace and wrapped his remaining arm around her as he waited for the dream to continue.

" _When despair fills the world, the Saviour will rise. Carrying the hopes, dreams and faith of all, he will vanquish evil and lead all to a beautiful Heaven."_ Hamuko whispered to him, but this time it wasn't in the voice of many, but with her voice and hers alone. Looking at her, he saw something he needed to see more than anything.

Her smiling.

He still didn't know if it was really her or just some illusion made to trick him but that pure smile made everything seem okay with the world. He couldn't help but smile back at her. Even when she faded away, neither of them stopped smiling.

* * *

He was still smiling when he woke up. Then he remembered that his arm had been cut off and that made his mood significantly drop. He was, once again, in a hospital bed. Honestly he should just get a room there considering how often he got hurt. Speaking of which, his injuries looked pretty bad. His chest was covered in bandages, as was his good arm. Thankfully he hadn't suffered any serious injuries to his legs so Matildo had seen no reason to take his pants off him. Getting up was a challenge since he was used to using both hands to push himself up. His wounds didn't help matters as whenever he tried to move to fast they would flare up, putting him in a lot of pain. Regardless he managed to get out of the bed and approached his belongings, which had been left on a nearby chair. He figured that he would probably need help to get his shirt and coat on, so he decided to leave it for now. Instead he decided to grab his hat and…

"Where's my hat? WHERE THE HELL IS MY HAT!?" He roared, ignoring the pain that caused his lungs. Digging through his things, he could find everything except his hat. Suddenly nothing else mattered. All he wanted at this exact moment was to find it. But alas, it was nowhere to be seen. Taking many a deep breath, he sat down again as he tried to wrap his mind around not having it. It wasn't easy; after all he'd had the thing for years. He'd had it since the orphanage.

He felt terrible. Not only because something he'd grown so used to was gone, but because of what the hat meant to him. It had been a gift from Miki, the only thing he had left of her. He felt like he'd lost his last connection to her.

Before his depression could continue any further, the black Prinny who worked for Mei entered the room. "Sorry to bother you, but I heard you yelling."

"It's fine… What do you want?"

"I thought I should let you know that Mei-Sama has been successfully healed and is in the back room if you want to see her."

To say he was relieved at this was an understatement. He'd been so worried when she got injured, espescially since it was his fault it happened. If only he hadn't been so trusting of Ciel then it wouldn't have happened. But right now the only thing that mattered was that Mei was okay. He could beat himself up about it later. Right now he just wanted to see her. "Can you show me to her?"

"Of course. Follow me." Thankfully the walk to Mei's room was short, as while his legs weren't injured, they felt weak. As soon as he arrived, the Prinny decided to leave, sensing that company wasn't something he wanted right now.

He couldn't tell how badly Mei was hurt. She wasn't hooked up to any machines so he could only assume that she was recovering quickly. On the other hand, since everything past her neck was under a thin quilt she might have been more injured than he realized. Since she was asleep he opted to sit in a nearby chair and wait for her to wake up. He didn't know how long he'd be there for, but he was willing to wait. In the meantime, he wondered where the others were, and if all of them were okay.

* * *

Agnus followed Mao's group in silence, checking that the others were all with him every couple of minutes. While Mao and most of his team were still confident, everyone who worked with the Persona user had been nervous ever since he'd been sent back. Dai was walking in front of the rest of them, both his weapons drawn. Saiduq and Samantha were keeping close together and were keeping an eye on each other. He knew he should do something to put the group at ease so their next fight would be easier, but he couldn't think of anything. Then again, he'd never been particularly good at looking out for others.

To make matters worse, that butler showed up a minute ago and told them something that no one wanted to hear. Apparently, the ones responsible for this were none other than the Diez Gentlemen, the legendary elites of the Seniors. Having to fight the group whose rumoured power was said to be equal to the Overlord himself was not something Agnus felt confident doing at this point in time. Unfortunately, Mao did not share this opinion and was charging forward at alarming speeds.

It wasn't long before they found themselves in a blood soaked battlefield, ruined armaments scattered as far as the eye could see. A small hill overlooked the area and the remnants of what Agnus assumed was once a small fortress sat in the middle of the field. Mao looked around the area, looking disappointed at how empty the area was. "... Are the Diez Gentlemen even here?"

In response, Almaz took a quick look around. Sure enough, he saw about the same amount as Agnus already had, namely nothing. "I don't see Master Big Star. Maybe he went to a different battlefield."

Soon after he said this, a lone figure walked into their line of sight, a fighter with a limp and a lot of wounds along his body, mostly inflicted by a gun. If he didn't get medical attention soon, he wouldn't be leaving this battlefield alive. In spite of his injuries, he yelled to anyone who could hear him, "Grh...! Someone... Please... Tell Master Big Star...! The Diez Gentlemen... They're here...!"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone appeared behind him, a women with long blonde hair, flanked by five gunners, a powerful looking handgun hanging at her side. She wore a black leather jacket and a matching pair of shorts that stopped at the beginning of her thigh, making it look like it was part of the jacket. Both of these things were noticeably tight against her body and had a distinct military look. She wore a matching hat and pair of thigh high boots, creating an aura of an evil general. She spoke with a thick German accent, that just enforced the strict words she spoke. "Shh shh shh. If you've got time to chat, you're not screaming hard enough. Go ahead, try and run!"

In fear, the injured warrior took a step back. The second he did, the mysterious woman raised her gun and fired. The bullet she fired was more akin to a small missile, exploding on impact. The warrior fell to the ground in pain. "Grhah! I'm done for...!"

With his last words spoken, the life lest him and his body became energy that was absorbed by his killer. She looked incredibly disappointed with her most recent kill. "Even his last line was weak. This is getting real boring, real fast. Why does he make us do all this!? I alone could have killed all those Sophomores on a good night."

Unsurprisingly unfazed by the killing that just took place, Mao addressed the mysterious woman. "A girl!? Are you a Diez Gentlemen!?"

Turning to acknowledge them, the woman still didn't look very impressed by who she saw. "Leftovers, huh? Introducing myself to trash like you gets old, but it's his style. I'll tell you who I am. I am Uno of the Diez Gentlemen-."

"Salvatore the Magnificent."

For a second all were confused as their heads turned to a man who'd been standing out of sight the whole time. When the girl saw him, she was so shocked, that her entire militaristic aura just seemed to vanish. "G-gin!? Wh-what are you doing here!?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you attacking the Sophomores? Why are you hypnotizing the Freshman? Why?" Something about his voice made Agnus realize that for whatever reason, saying these things hurt Gin, as if the words tasted like ash. Salvatore lowered her head as she spoke.

"It is our orders, orders we must obey."

"And what happened to the old ways!? Of Demons embracing their freedom and only obeying those stronger than themselves!?"

"The old ways are gone. Now superior orders are absolute. And since I am higher rank than you, I order you to abandon these fools and take your place amongst the Seniors again!" No one was sure if they heard that right. Thinking about it though, it made perfect sense to Agnus. It explained how he had so much magical power and how he knew so much about the Senior classrooms. Why hadn't he seen it before? Apparently the others were coming to the same realization and were all staring at Gin, who paid them no attention as he drew his staff.

"Not gonna happen." He said firmly as a scythe blade extended out of his weapon. Salvatore looked sad about this but raised her gun regardless.

"I do not wish to fight you Gin, but if it makes you see reason then I won't hesitate to shoot you." Her gave drifted to the others and a cold chill went up Agnus' spine as it did. "And I'll be sure to send the ones who corrupted you straight to Hell!"

When she finished speaking a huge aura appeared anound her, making the air thick around them. Several people took a step back the second they felt it and assumed a defensive stance. Beryl was the first to speak up, letting out a gasp as she did. "What a battle aura...! This is the true power of the legendary Diez Gentlemen!"

Sapphire was the next to find her voice, stating what most of them thought but didn't want to say. "Seems they're no comparison to any Demon I've met before this!"

Perhaps the scariest part of all this came when Almaz reminded everyone of something. "Eeeeehh!? And There's nine more of these Demons!?"

"And it seems there's a leader on top of that! It's most likely that this person is the secret ingredient!" Someone stronger thatn the Dies Gentlemen? Agnus really hoped Champloo was wrong about that. Mao on the other hand just seemed more annoyed about the extra work they'd have to do.

"Leader? One after another, there's so many of them that keep popping up. But this is just one ordeal! To defeat Dad, I must..." Not even bothering to finish his sentance, Mao summoned four glowing orbs of lightning and threw them directly at Salvatore, dispelling her aura when it connected, but left no injury on her. If anything, she seemed ammused at this.

"Hoh...? Looks like there's a live one in the mix? And here I thought you'd surrounded yoursefl with complete idiots Gin."

"Hey, lady! Bring out you leader or whatever! I'll put an end to your stupid goal of trying to defeat Dad myself!" Salvatore's smile grew when she heard this.

"I heard the Overlord's son was a Freshman. I guess that would be you."

"Indeed it is! I don't care wether you're a Diez Gentleman or whatever! The Netherworld's No.1 Honour Student is me! It's my destiny to defeat Dad... The Overlord! I won't let some tertiary character or her squabble with some Delinquent get in my way!" Mao said confidently, wind blowing his coat around as he did. Unfortunately Mao's confidence did not spread to all of his team and Almaz approahced him from behind.

"Mao! Don't get her pissed! Miss Beryl, stop him!"

"Nah, I'm with Mao! It's bad enough that some no-namer is trying to kill the Overlord, but her being here is hurting Gin. As his friend I can't allow him to suffer like this!" The delinquents words seemed to make the Senior very angry.

"How dare you!? He belongs with us! You stole him from us, and now I will take him back!" With reflexes that would have put Juro's to shame, she drew her gun and fired a shot directly at Beryl's heart. No one there was in the right position to stop it and there was no way for her to dodge it. It looked like the bullet would hit her and that would be the end, until something appeared before, deflecting it away.

"Attacking an opponent when they're unprepared? How cowardly." came the scolding voice of a familiar, elegantly dressed Demon, his sword drawn at just the right angle to knock the bullet into the ground at his feet. "Is that how the legendary Diez Gentlemen solve all their problems or are you just afraid of a fair fight?"

Salvatore looked slightly happier at the sight of him, and not in a friendly way. "Master Big Star, huh? Looks like I can wipe out all my enemies in one fell swoop and get back an old comrade while I'm at it. This is a good day for me!"

"I'm afraid I won't fall so easily. I have to many friends depending on my victory to die here." He said, his voice as calm as ever. "Besides, I must avenge my fallen allies. I will not let their sacrifices be in vain! I will fight you till my death if I must!"

With two Class Leaders and a Senior on their side, Agnus doubted they would lose this fight. He would have felt more comfortable if some of the others were there, but now wasn't the time to be picky. If he attacked now, he could catch her off guard and give them an edge in the fight. He queitly planted the tip of his spear into the ground and, when no one was looking at him, thrust his fists into the ground, causing a pillar of fire to engulf the Senior before them. Everyone was caught off guard by this, giving him the perfect oppurtunit to draw his spear from the ground and charge her. He was fully expecting to run her through and end this battle in an instant. He was not expecting her to sidestep the attack and jump out of the flames unscathed. Recovering from his suprise quickly, he spun his weapon and tried to hit her with the blunt end. Again she dodged but soon found herself being blown back by incredibly powerful winds. Agnus looked to see Gin with his hand extended forwards. "She is my opponent Agnus. Leave her to me."

As Gin ran to challenge his former ally, Mao yelled after him. "Hey! She's mine! If anyone's gonna beat her it's me!"

Master Big Star simply shook his head as Mao also ran into battle. "Perhaps you're both forgetting that this is my battlefield. I will be the one to handle this invader."

Once the Sophomore leader leapt into battle, Agnus couldn't help but wonder what he should do. They were all powerful, together they could probably defeat Salvatore. He shouldn't intervene. He should just leave it to them. He didn't belong there.

He was too weak.

His blood boiled as his own mind turned against him. He wasn't weak! He was strong! And he was going to prove it!

He could hear people yell for him to stop, that it was crazy for him to fight her, but he didn't care. He needed to do this, he needed to prove that he could defeat her. He needed to prove that he was strong. He'd lost too many times recently. Now was the time to fix that. When he arrived on the small hill the fight had taken them to, Mao was currently slashing at Salvatore's legs, all of which she dodged while firing at Master Big Star, who was stuck blocking the bullets. Gin was off to the side, charging up a spell to use on her. None of them had noticed him, which was surprising considering how fast he was charging towards them. Given how fast she was moving, hitting her with his spear would be challenging, so he decided to do something much more reckless. The moment he was close enought, he jumped straight at her and tackled her incredibly surprised form to the ground. While she was recovering, he raised his spear to stab her. She reacted quickly enough to shoot it from his hand, but not enough to stop said hand from forming a fist and colliding with her face, followed immediately by his other hand. He repeated this attern as much as he could, until he felt a hand pull on the back of his shirt, pulling him off her just before a huge fireball collided with her.

"You should be more careful." The Sophomore said chastisingly as Agnus picked up his spear. Ignroing his words, Agnus waited for the flames to subside and then charged the girl again. This time, she knew he was coming, and fired one of her explosive bullets straight at his forehead. The force of the blast knocked him back, almost colliding with Master Big Star as he did. The Sophomore simply took a step to the right and watched as his underclassmen soared past him. "Hmm, that weapons very powerful. I wonder what you would do without it. Care to find out?"

As he was speaking, he pulled out a rose and held it in Salvatore's direction. Suddenly, a mysterious gale emerged from the flower, encircling the two of them. Salvatore moved to shoot him, only for her gun to be whisked from her hand by the winds. Not letting this bother her, the Senior charged towards him and swung her fist at his heart. Just before it connected, he vanished, as if he was never there. From behind her, she heard his voice. "Over here."

Again she tried to punch him and again he vanished from sight and appeared elsewhere on the field. They repeated this pattern a few more times before Salvatore realised that she would never hit him as long as this barrier was intact and instead took a defensive stance. The younger man chuckled at this and held his rose up to the sky. As if answering a call, the winds all advanced on his opponent, carrying her high into the sky before vanishing completely, sending her back to the ground the hard way. A crater formed where she landed head first. When she emerged from the ground, her hate filled eyes gazed direcctly at the Sophomore, though they were soon forced to focus on the sword swinging Freshman. He was doing better than he had been a few moments ago, grazing her a few times. At this rate she would eventually make a mistake and then he would finish her.

Sadly, Mao never got that chance, as the Diez Gentleman graciously jumped onto the side of his blade midswing and kicked him in the face. In spite of her slim body, she had an incredile amount of strength and easily sent him crashing into one of the Sophomore's watchtowers, causing the whole thing to crash on top of him. He wasn't badly hurt, but the debris would keep him out of the battle for a few precious minutes. As he tried to claw his way to freedom, Agnus had made it back up the hill and he was very pissed. He was pissed that this girl had withstood his attacks. He was pissed that he'd had to climb this damn hill again. He was pissed that he hadn't beaten any strong opponents since he met Shinjiro. And he was pissed that he'd been shot in the forehead again! Now he was going to unleash all of that anger on this bitch and nothing was going to stop him!

Dropping his spear, a familiar blood red aura engulfed his hands, glowing brighter than ever before. As all his hatred flowed into his hands, he raised them above his head and smashed them into the ground. Once again, he witnessed Salvatore become surronded by the flames he had summoned, though this time his anger had fed the flames till everyone on the battlefield could feel the heat coming off of them. But he wasn't satisfied yet. He needed to know that she died, no matter how much power he had to pour into it. The flmae fueled his anger and his anger fueled the fire, both growing in the presence of the other, until many were forced to stop fighting from the heat.

After almost a whole minute of this, Agnus finally ran out of energy and was forced to stop. He was out of breath from the ordeal but as long as she died he didn't care. And then his blood chilled with just a single sentance. "It would seem you have a little potential."

He didn't want to look, but he needed to. Slowly raising his head, he saw her, covered in soot and minor burns, but still standing and still looking strong. He couldn't believe it. He had put all his strength into that attack and it had barely done anything. How could he be so weak? How could he have done so little to her? Was this how it would always be? Would he never be strong? Would he always lose!? Questions overflowed his mind as he lowered his head again, his spirits broken. Salvatore chuckled at the sight.

"Well, in respect for your efforts, I will show you true power! Behold!" As she spoke, she pulled a small pistol from inside her jacket. Holding it up to the sky, it emit a beam of light and a few seconds later, something appeared in the sky. At first it was too far away to tell what it was but as it got closer, everyone realised what they were seeing.

It was a giant gun.

As soon as that became clear, Slavatore jumped all the way up to it, planting both her feet on the trigger, pushing it back as she did. The gun went off and at the same time, the trigger forced itself back into postion, sending Salvatore back in the direction she had come. As she passed, she spun in the air and landed on the side of the bullet, riding it the rest of the way down. Agnus made no effort to dodge it, feeling like there was no point to doing so. The painwas unbelievable, as the huge bullet made contact with him, practically destroying his chest. He felt his ribcage break and the bones beginning to crush his own organs. Blood poured onto the ground as it gushed from his wound. It would be a miracle if he survived. Though the pain and his own feelings almost made him hope he wouldn't.

Eventually the bullet stopped moving and vanished into thin air, dropping Salvatore and letting Agnus collapse. He could only feel the comfort of the ground before Salvatore liffted him up by the back of his shirt. She didn't care if he would bleed to death, she wanted to feel the life leave his body, she wanted to feel his heart's last beat after she pulled it from his chest. There was no escape for him.

So Gin was forced to rescue him.

She hadn't expected him to rush past, cutting her along the back as he did. The sudden pain made her drop Agnus and stopped her long enough for Gin to grab him and hand him over to a nearby Sapphire, who began healing him immediately. Once he had done this, he turned his attention back to her. She looked like she was in pain, and not just from the scythe wound. "Why Gin!? Why would you put them before you're classman!? Before me!? Why!?"

Gin's sadness was clear on his face. "I'm sorry Salvatore... But the Seniors have lost their way. And I can't be a part of it anymore. And as long as you're loyal to them, then I have no choice but to stop you."

There was silence for a moment before Salvatore let out a yell of pure anger and pain. Once she was done, she leaped into the air again, the aim of her gun switching from Agnus to her former ally. Once again, the bullet flew towards him, but he refused to move. He contiuned to glare at the approaching projectile as it moved closer and closer. Finally, when it was less than a second away from impact, he made his move. Faster than even the speed of the bullet, he stepped behind it, slicing it in half at the same time. Salvatore soon found herself crashing into the ground as the two halves seperated.

Gin was determined to not give her a chance to recover, and quickly launched his second attack. A dark mist gathered aroiund him and from it came five figures, each with skeletal wings, scythes and a mask, though each wore a mask of a different colour. They circled around her, clearly having no intentions of letting her escape. Once they had all taken their places, they began a slow, solemn dance. For the first time Salvatore looked worried. She had seen it before and knew it wouldn't end well for her. And just as she predicted, the moment they finished their dance, they raised their blades and rushed forward, each slashing her as they did. All five blades hit her and cost her a lot of blood. Then Gin slowly approached her, his own weapon ready to attack. This would be the attack that finished her and she knew it. Desperatley, she looked for a way to get out of this.

And then she saw it. By sheer luck, her pistol was just a foot away from her, she could easily reach it. But what would she shoot? Gin? No, that wouldn't stop him and he'd probably just block it anyway. But then luck smiled on her again, as Mao finally emerged from the rubble of the tower in perfect range for her to hit him. That might distract Gin long enough for her to escape. Making her move, she grabbed the gun and fired what was possibly the most important bullet of her life. Her aim was perfect and the Freshman didn't see it coming and made no efforts to move. Gin watched as the bullet flew towards his ally but could do nothing to stop it. While he was distracted, Salvatore pulled out a small remote and, after pushing the only button present on it, vanished in a bright light.

The bullet connected, but not with it's intended target. Instead it collided with a much older Demon. Mao's butler Geoffrey. "Watch out! Young Master!"

The bullet exploded on impact, sending him to his knees. Mao was by his side in a second. "Geoffrey!?"

"Young Master... Are you alright...?" The others soon found their way around the old man, with the exception of Sapphire and Agnus.

"Yes..." Mao mekely answered. Despite the state his body was in, Geoffrey chuckled to himself.

"Hmhmhm... I was far off on my calculations this time. I didn't expect to sacrifice this body... However, I cannot aford to lose you here, Young Master... Even if I am not trusted by you, Young Master, I will always..."

"Geoffrey..." Placing his hand on his underclassman's shoulder, Master Big Star began speaking softly to him.

"So you still had more friends who would sacrifice their lives to save you. I'm sure you realise it now. You're just looking away from it, but you have great friends."

"These... are friends?" Mao's voice was filled with confusion and sadness. Then he remembered who did this. He remembered that his blood was on he hands. And he could feel pure hatred flow into him and refused to leave. His anger was so great that energy began to flow around him. Everyone took a step back as it did, worried about what might happen. "Raaahhhhhhh!"

Geoffrey raised his head, still in noticable pain to gaze upon this sight. "No...! It's too early! Young Master, calm Your heart!"

"He needs to cool down his heart!? Then leave it to me!" Champloo said, proving that he was the only one not worried about Mao right now. Jumping onto a nearby platform he yelled out, "Fire Chaos Style, Kitchen Fist uber secret move! Hot Hot Sensitive Tongue Slash! Kiiiiiaaaaahhhhh!"

With his bizare battlecry complete, he thrust out his palm and a green light shot out of it, engulfing Mao. The green light seemed to cancel out Mao's dark aura and the young Demon returned to normal. "Huh...!? What was I..."

"Young Master... That was dangerous... The ruler of the Netherworld shouldn't be angered for others... No, no... not for others..."

"Geoffrey... I, you were my..."

"Do not say anything. As a Demon, you cannot trust anyone. Not even me... Young Master... Hurry, and become the Demon of all Demons..."

"Geoffrey?"

"That is my... only joy... To see..." Before he could finish, Geoffrey collased to the ground and stopped breathing. Mao cautiuosly approached him.

"... Geoffrey? ... Hey! What's wrong? Wake up! Geoffffffreyyyyyy!"

As the young Demon shook the butler's body, some of the onlookers walked away. They weren't particullary fond of Mao, and they didn't even know Geoffrey. Instead, they picked up Agnus' vaguely healed body and carried him to a Dimensional Gate, Mao's cries of pain following them as they did.


	31. Chapter 30 – Metal Rebirth

**Chapter 30 – Metal Rebirth**

* * *

He didn't know how long he sat by her side before Shinji heard the sound of Mei stirring. As she slowly opened her eyes, he leaned closer to her so she would know that she was safe. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders when he heard her speak. "S-shinji…? Where are we…?"

"The nurse's. You got hurt pretty bad." He could see the silhouette of her arm move under the sheet, resting on her injury. "Why did you do that? It was stupid."

"I can't let you die yet. I still don't know what your insides look like." She wearily chuckled at this, before coughing. He couldn't believe she was laughing at a time like this. She was almost killed by his stupid mistake, and she was making no effort to blame him for it. If anything, that just made him feel worse. After a moment of getting used to the light in the area, Mei looked across at him and noticed the obvious change. "What happened to your arm…?"

Looking down at the stump just below his shoulder, he couldn't help but winch at the reminder of his handicap. "Ciel cut it off. She almost did even worse."

Something in Mei told her to reach out and touch the wound, but to do so, she would have to sit up. So, pushing down with what strength she had, she forced her back off the bed and leaned forwards. Shinji wished she hadn't, as her sitting up had caused the sheet to fall off her, revealing that in order to properly bandage her wounds, Mei's clothes had to be removed.

Thus meaning that the moment she got up, Shinji got an accidental look at her bare chest.

Blushing furiously, Shinji stood up and, in the firmest voice he could muster at that moment in time, yelled at her. "W-w-what are you doing!?"

Stopping her attempts to touch his bandage, Mei tilted her head as she stared at him in confusion. "Doing what?"

"Y-you're…! You're… revealing yourself…!" Looking down, Mei saw what he meant. Without the sheet, the entire top half of her body was uncovered, showing her own bandages, among other things.

"So?" Never had one word destroyed so much of Shinji's mind as that one did at that moment. He almost ripped out a large portion of his hair out of sheer frustration.

"You can't just do that you idiot! Those…" He pointed to her chest. "… Are meant to be covered!"

"Why?" Was she doing this to him on purpose, or did she really not see the big deal? Either way, Shinji was just a few seconds away from banging his head on the wall.

"They just are! Now put the sheet back on!" As he said this, he grabbed said sheet and began pulling it back up her chest. Unfortunately, he underestimated the distance between his legs and the bed and wound up knocking the former into the latter, causing him to lose his balance. This wouldn't have been a problem normally, he would have just held his arm out and caught himself before he could fall. Unfortunately, since he forgot that he was now short one arm and the other one had no angle to place itself at that would stop him. So a second later, he found himself collapsed on the bed, his face landing in a swarm of black feathers. He could feel something in his hand but he wasn't sure what, only that it was warm. And soft. And vaguely round.

His embarrassment skyrocketed when he realised what his hand had landed on, not helped when he realised that he and Mei's bare chests were pressed together, or that he could feel that her legs had separated to avoid being crushed by his own. The entire position they had landed in was, needless to say, a very awkward one.

Desperately, he moved his hand from its current position and attempted to lift himself from on top of her. Mei made no effort to help, and just seemed incredibly confused by the whole thing. Shinji was making good progress until he heard something, the sound of the door opening and someone entering. Turning his head so incredibly slowly, his eyes met the bored looking form of Masaru. For a good ten seconds, there was complete silence and a total lack of movement. Finally, the Ronin broke the silence, still sounding as disinterred as he always did. "Well, I guess that's one way to deal with pain."

If it was possible to die from embarrassment , Shinji would have dropped dead right there and then. But he wasn't that lucky and was forced to find some way to deal with this situation. He would have explained right then, but his brain was so overwhelmed that all his mouth could create was stuttering gibberish.

"Whatever. Just don't take too long you two." And with that Masaru left, caring as little about what he'd seen as he did about everything else in his life. Shinji on the other hand considered his reputation with his teammates as good as gone. Then again, he might have lost it when he lost his arm, so maybe that wasn't even a problem. Either way, he desperately wanted to stop Masaru before he told anyone what he thought he had seen. With determination he hadn't felt since he first got to the Netherworld, Shinji forced himself off of Mei, collapsing to the floor as he did. Quickly getting to his feet, he chased after the black clad swordsman, leaving a very confused Mei alone in the room, wondering what had gotten into Shinji all of a sudden.

* * *

Masaru had gotten a surprising distance for a man who was walking at a fairly slow pace, but Shinji eventually caught up with him. When the bandage covered man approached him, the messy haired Demon simply decided to stare at him till he decided to speak. After taking a moment to decide on how to calm himself and think about what he was going to say, Shinji said, "Look, I know what that looked like in there, but I swear it's not what you think."

"Really? 'It's not what I think'? You're honestly using THAT excuse?" Masaru said in a voice which not only implied he didn't believe him, but was incredibly unimpressed by Shinji's attempts to explain. It was clear that he wasn't going to believe any attempts on Shinji's part to explain the truth, so he went to plan B; threaten him.

"Look, if you tell anyone else about what you saw, it'll be the last thing you say!" Silence followed. A second later, Masaru drew his sword and shredded nearby stone pillar before sheathing his sword again, all in the space of about five seconds. He didn't say a word, but his actions spoke all the words he needed to, and those words were ' _Try me'_. In his current state, Shinji doubted messing with the expert swordsman would be beneficial to his health and decided that threatening him was probably not his smartest move.

With explanation and threats failing, the next logical thing to try would be bribery. "What I meant to say that if you don't mention it to anyone, I'll put you in charge of the teams money. You could buy whatever you wanted."

"What I want can't be bought or given. Besides, I'm already stuck keeping track of our enemies, don't stick me with another job I don't want." Shinji was quickly running out of things to try. If Masaru told the others what he had seen, then he probably wouldn't even be able to look at them anymore, let alone work with them. So, he resorted to the last thing he could think of. Shinji was going to beg.

"Please. You can't tell anyone! If you do, I won't be able to face them… Please." He said, eyes forced shut as he forced the words out. Masaru made sure that at least five seconds passed before he gave his response.

"… I wasn't going to tell them. What you do in your spare time isn't my problem."

Shinji didn't know if there was a word for a feeling of relief mixed with incredible frustration, and if there wasn't he'd probably invent one. Either way, that word, whatever it was, was the perfect one to sum up how he felt at that exact moment. Before he could get his emotions in check, Masaru decided to change the subject, and not to one that made Shinji any more comfortable.

"So, how'd this happen?" He asked, roughly grabbing the stump where an arm used to be, uncaring that he was injuring his leader. Shinji had to force his way free of the Demon's grip before he could bring himself to answer.

"Someone cut it off. She pretended to be weak and scared, and then when my guard was down… If Mei hadn't been there I'd be dead. We barely got out of there."

"That was a stupid mistake. Letting your guard down is like giving up. Do that, and it's not just you that's at risk."

"…" Shinjiro couldn't deny what Masaru was saying, as it was all true. He knew that this quest was dangerous, he knew that others were putting their lives on the line because of it and he knew that he should always be on guard. Yet he still made that mistake, and someone almost died because of his stupidity.

The sound of some people teleporting into the area, and several familiar voices getting louder interrupted their conversation. As the forms of Dai, Samantha and Saiduq rushed past, the two of them could just briefly see Agnus being carried by Dai straight into the nurses. He was badly injured, so much so that Shinji was amazed that he was still breathing. Wordlessly agreeing to put their conversation on hold, something Shinji was very grateful for, the two followed them to see what had happened to their ally.

* * *

By the time they got there, Agnus' shirt had already been removed, and Matildo was looking at the injuries under it. They looked even worse uncovered, almost all of his chest being an unhealthy shade of red and at least one of his cuts showing a little of the bone underneath. Matildo immediately began work, and all watched as the injuries began to fade. They heard his bones snap back into place as the rest of his wounds closed and the bruising began to fade. It was unpleasant to watch, but at least it was quick. In spite of the fact that he looked fine now, Matildo still insisted that she wrap a large amount of bandages around his chest. Apparently the bandages were special, and helped the one they were applied to deal with the pain while they slept.

One by one, everyone left the room, with the exception of Shinjiro, who stood by his allies bed, just staring down at his unconscious form and Matildo, who was checking that she had healed all his injuries. "He'll be fine. I made sure to heal his internal wounds and the bandages will mean he'll wake up in just a few hours."

"… I should have been there. Maybe I could have stopped this…"

"You know, getting hung up on what ifs is a bad habit. It doesn't help your friend and it just hurts you. Don't focus on regrets, just learn from your errors so they don't happen again." She said in a surprisingly kind voice. Her logic was sound, regrets wouldn't help him, or any of the others.

"…Thanks." He couldn't let this happen again. He'd lost before but now he knew what he'd done wrong and how to prevent it from happening again. Then he'd be able to protect everyone. Agnus and Mei would never get hurt like this again. Speaking of Mei, the memory of her reminded him of something very important and very embarrassing. "Ummm… This is off subject but… D-do you have Mei's clothes? I didn't see them in her room."

The nurse gave him a knowing, mischievous smile. "Did you get a good look?"

If he wasn't red before, he definitely was now.

"Hehehe. They're right on my desk. Feel free to take them to her." With his question answered, he decided to get out of there before the girl could continue to make fun of him. The moment he left, the nurses expression became serious as she walked behind a nearby curtain. Once she did, she created a magical circle and waited for the one it was summoning to appear.

"You called?" Turning, she came face to face with a familiar white haired man wearing a white cloak.

"I have information to report." Ruroni signalled for her to continue. "That mysterious girl who showed up not long ago was injured."

"That's not our concern."

"Ordinarily I'd agree with you. But something… Interesting has happened."

"Oh?"

"She was stabbed through the chest, yet her injuries healed faster than is possible. They were almost completely healed by the time I began my work."

"So? Someone must have healed her before she got here."

"They had, but I saw her injuries. They were still severe when she first arrived, but when I had prepared myself to heal her, most of the wounds were completely sealed. I looked away for a few minutes at best."

"Hmm, that is unusual. I'll tell the boss about it and see what he has to say. I take it you haven't told her allies about this?"

"No. I want to learn more about it before I rouse their suspicions. It would be best to keep conflict amongst them to a minimum."

"Indeed. I'll keep an eye on it. You try to keep it secret from them till we figure this out."

"Of course. Be sure to keep me informed Ruroni." The white haired man didn't answer, instead deciding to simply walk away and get to work. Matildo didn't question this, reverting to her more playful, teasing act. She needed her mission to succeed, and if she didn't act how she needed to, the whole thing may collapse. She would not be responsible for all their hard work being ruined.

* * *

After dropping off Mei's clothes, Shinji got a report from the others on what had happened in his absence. He didn't like the sounds of these Diez Gentleman and would have to interrogate Gin next time he saw him. Regardless, he decided that he'd best stick with Mao's group for now. They were already struggling with their help, having to fight without them would be… unwise.

"Is Mao back?"

"We think so. We saw some of his servants walking around so he's probably not too far." Juro reported before awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "Hey… Will you, uh, be ok?"

Shinji instinctively raised his hand to his wound. "This won't stop me."

"I don't doubt that. But are you going to be able to defend yourself like that? You always fought with your right arm. Can you even use your axe with your left?" That was something Shinji hadn't considered. As far as he remembered, he'd never tried using his axe left handed, so it was fully possible he couldn't.

"I'm sure I can hold my own. Arm or not, I won't lose."

Everyone else shared a nervous glance at each other, but none of them questioned him. He could tell that they all had their doubts, and he couldn't blame them. Seeing him like this wouldn't have built their confidence, especially since they were expecting him to lead them. He wished he could have eased their mind, but his words probably would have sounded hollow. So instead he simply walked towards Mao room, and hoped he'd find the glasses wearing Demon inside.

* * *

When he arrived, Mao was angrily ranting about power, and something about turning his body into a cyborg or robot. Really, Shinji didn't care. It just sounded like a kid throwing a temper tantrum. But, whether he liked it or not, sticking with him was their best chance of winning. He was about to break Mao's rant when the white haired Demon noticed him. More specifically, he noticed his bandaged elbow and lack of anything below it. A twisted smile spread across his face as he quickly violated Shinji's personal space and pulled him further into the room, muttering something the entire time. By the time Shinji realised what was happening, Mao had let him go and was digging something out of a nearby box. Shinji got the feeling Mao wouldn't let him leave until he was done.

"Ah ha! I knew it was here!" Removing his head from the box, Mao brandished a metal disk. On one side of the disk was a large ring with complicated machinery inside it along with several spikes pointing inwards. The other side had a smaller hole on it that it's opposite and no sign of anything that would cause someone pain. Whatever this thing was, Shinji had a bad feeling about it. When Mao pressed a button, the spikes retracted and his smile grew.

Before anyone could react, he dashed across the room, pulling the bandages off of Shinji's wounds and shoving the large disk on to his arm, pressing the button again to dig the spikes into his arm. The pain was incredible, and if he hadn't been used to worse pain, the shock probably would have killed him. As he tried to deal with the pain, Mao pulled something else out of the box and connected it to the disc.

After lashing his body around for several seconds, Shinji snapped his eyes opened and yelled at the top of his lungs. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?"

He was surprised to see that Mao was now lying on his back with a bruise on his chin. He briefly wondered how that happened before realising something more important. There was now an incredible weight on the right side of his body, pulling his shoulder down. Looking down, he saw a large metal tube as long as his forearm emerging attached to his elbow. At the end of the tube was a metallic hand.

It was an arm. A new, robotic arm.

He had to wonder if it really worked and, to his shock, it did. When he tried to get it to move, it did. It was slow and given its weight it was more challenging than usual but that didn't change the fact that it worked. He had an arm again. Sure its fingers only bent in the middle which would make holding thing difficult, but at least he COULD hold them now.

Then he realised that he must have hit Mao by accident with his pain filled thrashing and felt a little guilty about it. He decided to apologise, first by helping Mao back to his feet. "My bad."

"Tch, whatever. The point is the arm works. Now go test it!"

"Huh?"

"Test it! Go fight someone! I need to know how well it works!" It quickly dawned on Shinji that Mao hadn't done this out of any sort of kindness. He only wanted to see how well it worked. Regardless, he was thankful for this, though he did feel like hitting Mao again for not warning him before doing it. It was only then he remembered that there were other people in the room, made obvious when Beryl took that chance to start speaking.

"Wow… Something Mao built actually worked!"

"Hey! Of course it worked! My calculations are never wrong!" Mao yelled at the nearby girl. It did nothing to remove the looks of shock on everyone's faces or the confused one Almaz had.

"Why did he have a robot arm just the right size lying around?" He was not surprised when everyone ignored him and Mao and Beryl continued arguing. Shinji figured that waiting for them to finish would just waste his time, so he decided to silently leave and think of something more productive to do.

* * *

The moment he stepped outside the door he ran into a solemn figure, gazing out across the Academy's main hall. His expression mixed with his black suit would make people think he was at a funeral. Not that Shinji couldn't understand why. If he had to fight SEES, he'd probably look the same as the man before him.

"You ok?" Gin turned when he heard Shinji's voice, having failed to notice his presence till now. His eyes still held great sadness.

"Yeah… I just…"

"I get it. You don't want to fight your old allies, cause you remember when you shared the same goal?" Gin's only answer was a sad nod. He looked like the world had crashed down on top of him.

"I will if I must. But…" Even though he didn't finish, Shinji knew exactly what Gin was going to say. To try and reassure him, he placed his hand on Gin's shoulder.

"I'll help where I can. I can't carry your burden for you, but I can take some of its weight." Gin gave a weary smile at this.

"Thank you Shinjiro. I know I can count on your word." Shinji felt like he'd been able to help Gin, even if just a little. But that was all he could do for now. Still, he was glad he could help his ally, and he felt like he understood the Delinquent mage a little better. Gin turned back to look over what the Seniors had done to the Academy. "You should get back to your friends. I'll let you know what Mao's next move will be."

"Thanks Gin." Everyone was back at the nurse's so he decided to get back there and let them all know about what had happened.

* * *

The moment he got back, everyone noticed his new arm and stopped to gawk at it. Aki thought it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen while Dai started contemplating whether he should get his own. Juro thought it lacked style but was better than no arm, a direct contrast to Kirijo, who thought its simple nature gave it a certain charm to it. Samantha and Saiduq agreed that it looked strong and would be useful in their future battles. And Masaru, unsurprisingly, looked at it for a few seconds, then went back to ignoring it.

"Now that you're all done invading my personal space, can we get to business?" No one argued. "Good. How are Mei and Agnus?"

"Mei's all better and should be with us in a minute. We haven't checked on Agnus since you left." Aki reported.

"Alright. Guess I'll check." So Shinji took the short walk to Agnus' room and opened the door. But all that greeted him was an empty bed. All of Agnus' stuff was gone and it was clear that someone had left in a hurry. "Where is he? Where is he!?"

Everyone heard him yell and came to join him. But none of them had an answer. They all thought Agnus was still here, and they hadn't seen anyone leave. So where had he gone?

* * *

Agnus coughed and wheezed as he leaned on his spear. He wasn't fully healed, but he needed to get out of there before anyone else got back. Eventually he caught his breath and kept walking. "Sorry guys… But I need to do this…"

Thoughts of his last battle flashed before his eyes. He still remembered how weak he felt when Salvatore walked off his strongest attack. Nothing he'd done had worked on her and there were still nine more Seniors just as strong as her. Then he remembered his attempts to help fight that Human that Shinji and Kirijo knew. He remembered how he'd completely failed to land a hit on the guy, and was sent to the ground after a single shot. And before that there was the battle with Damia, and his failure to fend off her charm spell. In that battle he'd been nothing but a hindrance.

And then he remembered when it all began. How his losing streak started when a human in a coat and hat approached him in his training grounds and sent him flying into a wall. Ever since that fight with Shinji, he'd been losing to enemies that just got stronger. He'd though that if he stuck with Shinji then he'd get stronger. But all it had done was show him how weak he was compared to the rest of the world. And if he wanted to gain the strength to look his own allies in the eyes, then he'd have to look for it another way.

He'd have to search alone.

"Wait for me guys…"

* * *

Meanwhile, in a room filled with warm light, a man in a white suit sat at a desk and waited. He had just sent a signal for his most powerful servants to gather here. So far, only one had arrived, the archer who had previously reported to him. "I take it that since you called all of us, something very important has happened?"

The man in white smiled at the man across from him. "Indeed. Something so important, that we must change our plans to meet it."

"Oh? What could be so important?"

"You should calm down Cheshire Cat." Spoke a voice from behind them. Leaning next to the door was a man in a black suit with coattails, wearing a matching pair of gloves and a fedora hat that was currently obscuring his eyes. His white hair was a sharp contrast to the rest of his outfit but still made him look highly suspicious. The archer grunted at him.

"You… How many times do I have to tell you not to refer to me as that?"

The suit wearing man cocked his head in mock confusion. "Why not? You always show your teeth when you smile, just like the storybook cat. Just like you the cat hunts its prey from the shadows. Yes, I think Cheshire Cat is a perfect name for you. Much better than that barbaric 'Grinning Reaper' nonsense."

"Don't tempt me to shoot you."

"Try me Cheshire Cat. I'd love to see your fangs." Before either of them could continue, the man in white spoke with a voice of authority.

"Gentlemen. We are allies are we not? Therefore, please refrain from raising arms against each other. It would be shame if one of you died, especially if your blood stained this quite expensive suit of mine." Reluctantly, the archer heeded his words and turned his back on the man in black, who mockingly waved at him as he did.

Soon after this argument was resolved, an elderly looking man in a lab coat entered the room, followed by a younger looking man in a red robe. One by one, more people entered, forming a line in front of the man in white's desk. When all of them stood before him, he stood and raised his arms in greeting.

"My loyal allies. Achlys has been found."


	32. Chapter 31 – Conflicting Beliefs

**Chapter 31 – Conflicting Beliefs**

* * *

For roughly an hour, everyone searched the campus for Agnus, but all came up empty handed. No one even found a clue to which way he might have gone, or how long ago he had left. After they all reached the conclusion that he was gone and they weren't going to find him, they reunited at the nurses.

"What are we gonna do? We're down a man and we're fighting something stronger than anything we've ever seen!" Dai asked no one in particular. The question was one they all shared. Why would Agnus leave now? Why wouldn't he tell any of them? Had he chose to leave, or had something forced him to?

The silence proved that no one had an answer. Masaru let out an annoyed sigh. "If he wants to act like an idiot and get himself killed, that's his problem. We've got bigger things to worry about, like the Seniors."

Kirijo was appalled at Masaru's words and made it perfectly clear. "How could you say that about your own ally!?"

"He abandoned us. That doesn't make him our problem. Our problems are an invading army and a crippled leader. Or am I the only one here who know how to prioritise?" His words stung, but Shinji expected nothing less. The Ronin never gave the impression that he cared for other people's opinions or if he hurt their feelings. Still, he couldn't just sit down and take this abuse from his own ally.

"I don't care what you say. I can fight and you can still trust me to lead you."

"After that mistake you made? If you hadn't made it, you'd still have an arm." The air turned colder as he said this, none of the others wanting to agree, but none seeing anyway they could deny it.

"I know I was wrong, but I've learned from it! I'm stronger than I was before! I can do this!"

"Can you? Maybe you should have listened to what that guy said. We're counting on you as our leader to keep us all alive. How can you do that if you can't even protect yourself?" The memory of that mysterious swordsman made Shinji's blood boil. Half of him was tempted to hit Masaru just for bringing him up and the other half wanted to hit him for agreeing with him. Thankfully, someone much calmer took over the conversation for him.

"Aragaki always puts others before himself. I trust his judgment, and that he will gladly keep us out of harm's way. Hasn't he proven that already?" Masaru's attention drifted to the businessman, trying to think of any counter arguments.

"…Whatever. I'll be getting ready for our next fight." Not waiting for anyone to respond or try to stop him, Masaru turned and walked over to the armour shop, examining the various items inside. One by one, other members of the team followed his example, going to get things from the various shops, or pay a visit to Takehisa. Soon only Shinji and Kirijo remained.

"Why did he bring that guy up!? He knows how pissed that guy made me!"

"He's looking out for the others." Kirijo's words confused him. How was angering their leader looking out for them? Thankfully, Kirijo went in to further detail. "He's voicing the things that the others are thinking, that they feel you need to know about. They want to make sure you can protect them, but they're afraid of how you'll react. He says these things so they don't have to, so you'll think about them and become stronger from it, without getting angry at the others. At least that's what I think."

"You got all that from a single conversation?" To be honest, he was amazed he was able to tell that much about anyone that quickly, let alone from a man who always wore a face of indifference and sounded like even the end of existence wasn't his problem.

"I've seen that kind of behaviour before… from an old friend of mine. Seeing how nervous the others were and how calm Masaru was reminded me of him, so I thought it might be the same. Maybe I'm wrong. All I know is that now isn't the time to be fighting amongst our allies."

"I know. It's just... How can I get their trust back? How can I make them believe in me again?"

"You can't make people believe, Aragaki. If you want someone to believe in you, to trust you, you have to earn it. Find a way to show them that your way is right, and that they can believe in you."

"How?" Kirijo shook his head.

"I can't tell you that Aragaki. People react in different ways to different things. You need to find out what they need, to believe in you. That's what it takes to be a leader."

"I guess you'd know..."

"...Sadly. I know that being in command is... difficult. So if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll listen." He had to admit, having someone who still had faith in him was just what he needed right now. The fact that Kirijo happened to be good at giving him advice, just made it better. Having someone like this by his side was beyond helpful.

"...Thanks." It was almost hard to believe that this man in front of him could be so wise, yet still not have realised that acting like a pervert around Demons who could rip his face off at any time was a bad idea. It just showed that there was more to this man than you'd think, that there was more of him that Shinji was finally starting to understand.

"We'd best get ready ourselves. We don't know what lies in store, but I doubt it will be easy."

"Right. I'll check on Mei, you get ready." Kirijo nodded and went to check the shops. His advice had been helpful, though he'd still have to find a way to make it work. But right now that didn't matter. Right now there was a girl who almost died for him who he needed to check on.

* * *

He made sure to knock before entering Mei's room. He didn't want a repeat of what happend earlier today. To his surprise, the door was opened by a tall blond man, who immediatley grabbed him and pulled him into the room. "Good. You're here. I've been waiting for an hour now!"

"What do you want?" Shinji really didn't want to stick around. He had work to do and people waiting for him. But it didn't look like Champloo would let him leave yet, not until he'd said or done whatever had caused him to wait this long for him.

"I came to ask a favour of you, an important one."

"I don't have time for it." He turned his back on the chef but soon found an hand on his shoulder spinning him back around.

"Make time. You remember that man in black from the Sophomore battlefields?" Shinji's blood boiled at the mention of the man. Why was everyone bringing him up? "I need you to find him."

"You can't be serious! You want ME, the guy who hates him, to find him for you!?"

"Yes. Sometimes a conflict of flavours is benefitial to both, boom!"

"And sometimes it just ruins the dish! See, I can make food metaphors too!"

"Impressive. Anyway, I'd look for him myself, but I'm too busy, and this can't wait, lest one of the main courses be under cooked!"

"I'm busy too!"

"Doing what? Do you even have a plan?" Shinjiro opened his mouth to answer, but found that nothing would come out. Truth be told, his only plan was to follow Mao, which Champloo was doing as well. After a moment of thought, he realised that he honestly had no other plan at the moment. He had no excuse apart from his own hatred of the black clad man. Eventually he let out a sigh.

"If I decide to look for him, which I might not, what do you want from him?" Champloo's smile, which was already quite broad, semmed to grow, as if those words confirmed what he wanted to hear.

"I have met him in the past and have a message for him. Delivering it to him is crucial. I would be very grateful if you were to do this, boom!"

"And that message is?" Champloo glanced at Mei, who had been sitting there, surprisngly quiet for the entire conversation. Then again she had been staring at Shinji's mechanical arm with a mix of shock and amazment, so she might not have even been focussing on their conversation. The older Demon still decided it was too risky to assume that she wasn't listening, and beckoned Shinji closer while leaning forward himself. Eventually he whispered something into the young mans ear. To Shinji it meant nothing, but he memorised it anyway. "I don't understand. What does that mean?"

"Trust me, when he hears that, he'll know what it means."

 _"No, don't give a straight answer. That would be too helpful."_ Shinji couldn't help but think to himself. He really wanted to say it, but he figured that it wasn't really his problem if the message made sense or not. Then again, he hadn't even decided if he was going to deliver it yet. But really, he couldn't say no to the request. Champloo said it was urgent and Aki probably wouldn't be happy if he learned that he turned down a request from his mentor.

Plus, when else was he going to get a chance to punch that guy?

"Alright. I'll get it to him."

"Nyahahaha! I knew you'd agree! You have my gratitude!"

"Where can I find him?"

"One of my students saw him heading for the school's frozen wing. Chances are, he's still there." Shinji couldn't help but shiver s little when he heard that. He'd been to the frozen wing before and it's name was appropriate. It was also where he and his allies fought Damia, one of their strongest opponents to date, who almost beat them all singlehandedly. Needless to say, he didn't have great memories of the frozen wing.

"I'll get over there once Ive gathered up my team." As far as he was concerned, the conversation was over now. He'd make sure that Champloo paid him back for it, but they'd discuss that later. Before he could leave though, Champloo spoke once more.

"You should know what to call him before you go." Shinji stopped to listen, but didn't turn to look at the speaker. "He answers to the name... Terre."

Terre. So that was that bastards name. Nodding, to confirm he heard it, the Persona user walked out again and headed back to his room. If he was going to meet this guy, he'd have to be prepared.

* * *

With a little more difficulty than usual, Shinji eventually got his shirt and coat on. He was glad his coat was in tact, but that last fight had left some holes in the shirt that he wasn't entirely comfortable with. Plus half of one of the sleeves was missing, but since his new arm was wider than his old one, it wasn't really a problem. He was still upset by the loss of his hat, but there was nothing he could do about it. Grabbing the rest of his items, he walked out to find everyone gathered. Once Shinji reached them, Aki cut in. "Mei explained the situation to us."

Shinji glanced at her when Aki said this, only now noticing that she was there. The second he saw her, he remembered what had happend earlier and averted his gaze again. Before anyone could notice, Masaru decided to start talking. "So, now we're glorified messanger pigeons. That's just great."

Shinji decided to ignore him and just start explaining the situation in full. "Look, we just need to find this guy, deliver the message and come back. Trust me, I think this is stupid too, but it beats charging forward with no plan at all."

"Do we have any idea where to go?" Aki asked.

"The frozen wing of the school. Where we fought Damia." He was glad to see that almost everyone had the same reaction to that statment as he did. The only two who reacted differently were Dai, who just seemed to get angry, and Kirijo, who was probably thinking things which should be best left in the deepest parts of the internet. "That's where he was last seen. If we're gonna find him, that's our best bet."

He was honestly expecting Masaru to find someway to insult him about this as well, but the Ronin remained silent. Instead, he started walking towards the Dimensional Gate, seeming to have accepted that they were doing this and there was nothing he could do about it. The others soon followed, so apparently they were willing to go with him for this. He doubted they were really okay with it, but perhaps now he'd have the chance to prove that he still had what it takes to lead them.

Stepping towards the gate, he told the Prinny where they needed to go and just a few seconds later, they emerged in the frozen wing of the school. As soon as he looked at it, his blood turned cold, and not because of the temperature. It had changed since they'd last been there.

The entire are was covered in dark purple crystals, many of them decorated with the corpses of impaled Demoons. And even the ones that weren't were surronded by the bodies of their victims, some in more than one piece. There was only one thing that he knew of that could do this, and last time he saw her, she cut off his arm and almost killed him and Mei.

Running into her would be the worst thing to possibly happen right now. He prayed to anything that would listen, that she wasn't here.

Regardless, he needed to press on. The others followed with caution, as all but two of them recognised the crystals and knew to fear who they were a sign of. Aki and Masaru didn't understand why everyone else was so nervous at the sight of the crystals, but they knew there must be a good reason, so kept their guard up as well. But none seemed more concerned than Kirijo, who was trailing behind the others with his head down and his expression showing that he was deep in thought. The others didn't notice though, they were too busy checking everywhere they could see for even the slightest sign of a threat, be it from the ysterious man they were sent to find, the flirtatious yet ruthless Succubus they fought on their last visit to this area, or the psychotic rose haired girl who crippled their leader so easily.

They wandered from the entrance to the the heart, passing every door and checking them all in turn. No matter where they looked, they could find no sign of their target. No footsteps in the snow, no signs of a drawn blade. All they found was ice, crystals and the corpses they had created. They knew not how someone could leave no signs of his presence, leading them to believe that maybe he had never been here at all.

"We're wasting our time. He's not here." Juro said, his fear of their enemies replaced with boredom and a growing distaste for the cold. "Maybe someone back in the main building saw him."

"Even if they did, the Seniors have probably hypnotized them by now. Plus, how do we know he's even still in the Academy? For all we know he got out of here hours ago." Samantha cynically stated.

"Then what do you suggest?" Dai questioned, clearly annoyed. Everyone seemed to take this as their cue to start talking, each of them suggesting a different plan of action and bitterly arguing with anyone who disagreed with their idea. Mei tried to get people to stop arguing and think, but they were too busy yelling to hear her, let alone listen to what she has to say. Kirijo was still deep in thought and so was avoiding the argument entirely, whilel Masaru massaged his temples to battle the oncoming headache he was getting from all the noise.

Shinji witnessed as his allies fought amongst themselves, none agreeing with anyone else. He knew he had to stop it, that it was his duty as leader to stop it. But his mind was blank and his mouth wouldn't move. And even if he could stop them, he had no idea what to suggest. All of their ideas had potential, but they also all had flaws. None seemed like the wrong choice but he doubted that any where the right choice, and if there was one he couldn't tell it apart from the others.

"So this is how you lead. With indecision and incompetence." All arguments stopped as they heard those words. He knew that voice. He had barely heard it, but even a single breath in that voice would put him in a foul mood. Turning, Shinji saw the very man they had been looking for. How he snuck up on all of them was a mystery, but now he stood before them, gazing at Shinji with a mix of complete contempt and condescending pity. Everything about him seemed to exist to anger Shinji, as if this man had been created for that purpose alone.

"Tch. About time you showed up."

"I've been here for a while, watching you fail to exceed my expectations." Contrast to his sharp tone from beefore, the man now spoke in a dull, bored tone, as if this wasn't even worth his time. The effect was the same however, in that it made Shinji want to drop him off a cliff.

"So, you've been screwing around in the shadows? What are you afraid to meet us till you have an excuse to gloat?"

"I don't gloat. I simply state truth, even if you don't want to accept it."

"Truth? Sounds more like bullshit to me."

"Then clear it out of your ears. Maybe you'll hear better." As they spoke, the two began walking in a circle, their eyes never leaving each other. Their argument seemed to have evolved from what it had been before, now closer resembling that of a game between two rivals. It was as if their words were chess pieces, and each would wear down the other's evertime they spoke. The only question was who would corner the other first.

"Or maybe you've got so much inside you it mixes with your words."

"This coming from the guy who probably hasn't stopped to clean up since he got here?"

"And how would you know that? Are you so bored to watch me when I sleep?"

"I don't need to. I can smell you from here."

"Well, not all of us are so vain to put washing our hair over fighting a war." By now both men had walked past where the other and once stood and returned to where they began. As soon as Shinji's allies were behind him once more, both stopped and stood perfectly still.

"Fighting a war you say? If this a war, you'd make sure your enemies are dead before you turned your back on them."

"Sometimes killing things isn't the answer to our problems. I doubt you'd understand that." For some reason, that comment seemed to upset the man, who had until now shruged off all of Shinji's other accusations.

"I understand more than you possibly could. I've seen the cruelty that exists in all worlds. Only the blade can end that kind of sin. But you're too afraid to draw yours. Is that why you've got a toy for an arm?"

"This? It's proof I had the balls to fight my enemy. Not just cut him down when he's weak and unprepared." Terre sighed at the thought of this and shook his head slowly.

"Still naive. You wish for victory, yet you choose to fight head on. Only a fool fights an army like that. A wis man would cut them through the heart and watch as their life bleeds away."

"I'd rather be a brave fool than a cowardly wise man." Both men drew their weapons slowly and in perfect unison. Both knew that their was only one was for this to go, and both wanted a blade in hand for when it happend. Kirijo and Aki held the others back, knwoing that this was Shinji's battle, and that to intervene would simply insult his skills. If he wanted to prove himself to Terre, he'd have to do it alone.

"Cowardly? I prefer to think of myself as..." He spun his sword around before pointing it directly infront of him, it's point lining up with Shinji's heart. "Pragmatic. Care for me to show you?"

"Only if you don't use that disappearing act of yours."

"Well that's not fair. If I get a handicap, so should you. Let's say... no Persona. Show me how good you are without it." He couldn't help but let his eyes widen at those words.

"How do you know about Personas?" He wished he hadn't said that. Until now, he'd done well in covering his faults and forccing them back at his opponent. Now he'd just given the man the first clear victory in the entire conversation. Terre's small smirk confirmed it. The first round of their game was over. Now round two could begin.

"Tell you what, beat me and I'll tell you." As he said this, he lowered his body and pressed the tip of his blade down. He was ready to charge at any moment. In response, Shinji entered his own fighting stance.

"Then I'll learn it soon enough." Deciding that the time for talking was over, both men started to walk to each other, starting slowly, but gradually gaining speed. Terre's black sword scraped along the ice and Shinji's axe dragged behind him as they charged at each other, and with a mighty swing their blades connected, the resulting sound echoing across the entire wing of the Academy.

The twin blades grinded against each other. The weight of the axe pressed the much lighter sword down, but the Black Demon Hunter possesed great strength, keeping it from crushing him. From an outsider perspective, the men looked equal, but that was not the case. Shinji could feel that he couldn't keep this up. His new arm didn't have as tight a grip as his original one. Everytime he applied pressure, or Terre succesfully pushed him back even a little, he felt the handlemove slightly. This combined with the fact that he'd never fought with this new arm before, gave him a serious disadvantage. He didn't know if Terre could feel it as well, but if he did then this fight was going to be a lot harder.

While he was busy worrying, Terre took his chance and pivoted his body to the right, removing his sword from under Shinji's axe at the same time. With nothing under it to prevent it's momentum, the axe buried itself in the frozen floor. The moment it did, Shinjiro felt a kick to the back of his knee, causing him to stumble, leaving him defencless to a spin kick to the face. He was on his back before he could even figure out what was happening. As soon as he regained his senses, he rolled to avoid being skewerd by a downward stab, which would have hit him in the shoulder had he been any slower. It was only now he realised that when Terre knocked him back, his axe remained imbedded in the ground, leaving him without a weapon to defend himself with.

Terre wasted no time continuing his assault, stabbing down at his prey, who repetedly rolled out of the way. In a moment of quick thinking, Shinjiro waited till the last possible moment and, just before the blade was too close to dodge, rolled towards Terre, instead of away from him. He collided with his attackers knees just as the blade piereced the ground. He barely kept his blance, but he was shaken long enough for Shinji to force himself up and run for his axe, now several feet away.

He easily reached it, but as he pulled on it, his metal hand slid down the handle, not moving the blade an inch. Cursing under his breath, Shinji pulled with his left hand and the blade came free in a single tug and just in time, as the moment it did, Terre attacked again, his attack barely blocked in time. This proved something else that would have been good for Shinji to know before this battle.

His left hand, while still having a better grip than his right, wasn't used to holding an axe.

He couldn't explain it. It just felt... wrong in his hand, like it wasn't meant to be there. His arm wasn't faring much better, the weight being completley unkown to it. He could fight like this, but nowhere near as well. He knew it, Terre knew it, and everyone watching knew it. If he wanted any chance of vicctory, he'd have to do something fast.

Noticing that Terre was focussed entirely on attacking with his blade and trying to overpower him, Shinji saw an opening in his enemies defence, one he could easily exploit with his free hand. With all the strength he could gather, he swung the metal hand right into the opening, where it collided with the swordsman's jaw. The force of it was enough to knock him back and clutch his hand to the injured area. It had been the first hit Shinji had landed on him and it had been completely worth it to see the man in this much pain. Even so he knew he couldn't afford to relent, especially now that he finally had a chance to go on the offensive.

Terre recovered in time to see the axe wielding Persona user charging at him, weapon raised. Quickly, he swung his sword, timing it just as Shinji tried to drop his axe on his head, deflecting it to one side. As soon as it passed, he felt a metal hand grab his arm and squeeze tightly. The pressure made it hard to keep his grip on his sword and even harder to keep it pressing down on his opponents axe. Just before Terre could attack with his free hand, Shinji's forehead slammed straight into his nose, no doubt cracking it. At the same moment, the hand clutching his forearm tightened, loosening his hand enough for the sword to drop from it.

His enemy was unarmed. He wouldn't use his powers. Now all Shinji needed to do was sink the axe into the man's shoulder and the victory would be his. Raising it up once more, he prepared to finish this fight while his enemy was still winching in pain.

But the Black Demon Hunter was far from done. Before Shinji could see what happend, Terre raised his arms and crossed them in front of himself, forming an x shape. Then, at just the right moment, he closed the distance between his hands, causing the back of each to make contact with the side of Shinji's axe. The opposing forces caused the axe to spin and it was once again forced from his grip. Once that was done, Terre continued his assault, slaming his forearm into the side of Shinji's head, followed by the opposite arm doing the same to his face.

The attack was disorienting and left him defencless to the relentless follow up. His opponent's repetadly hit his upped body, while the back of his hands were repetedly introduced to his face in the most painful way possible. He was lightning fast, leaving no openings for Shinji to even ove back to avoid the attacks, since whenever he was knocked back by the force of the attacks, Terre would crreep around him and continue his assault from this new angle.

"Is this all you have to offer? I thought you wanted to win!" Terre yelled as a particularly forceful blow to the back of Shinji's knees forced him to his knees. After a moment to catch his breath, Terre raised his leg so high that his foot was equal to his head, before bringing it down on the back of his opponent's skull. "You've lost. You'll never beat anyone like this."

Shinji didn't move, or even give any signs that he was still alive. Terre sighed and shook his head. He couldn't understand how anyone could think this guy was strong. As far as he could see, he was just a headstrong fool. Knowing that he had won, he went to reclaim his sword. He had wasted too much time here.

"AAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!" That was the last thing he heard, before something heavy slammed into his back. The force caused him to role across the ground and land on his back, his attacker hovering over him. He opened his eyes just to see a fist slam into his face. Once it moved he saw that, against all odds, Shinji had gotten back up and had resumed attacking. Usually when he unleashed such a devestating attack on his enemies, they were into much pain to even get up. To see one not only up, but furiuosly attacking him, if anything even more dangerously than before, was something that shocked Terre.

Sadly though, regardless of how shocked he was, Terre was still able to use his skills to force Shinji's arm to the side, before releasing one last burst of punches to his chest. This last series of attacks took what little strength was left from the Persona user and he collapsed onto the icy floor. Terre slowly got up and looked down at Shinji's bruised, but still conscious form. "No one's ever fought so well against me before... But you still lost."

With pain coursing through him, Shinji pressed his shoulders against the floor. Despite all his injuries, he was stil able to push himself to his knees. "Never... As long as I live, I'm still fighting... And as long as I'm fighting, I haven't lost!"

There was a brief silence as everyone tried to comprehend how someone could still be concious after such a brutal beating, let alone continue to defy his attacker. Terre cursed to himself, knowing he was going to regret what he said next. "I admit, you're dedication is... admirable. I'd like to see where it takes you. Get in some practise with that new arm of yours and meet me in the volcanic wing of the school. Then we'll see how strong your resolve really is."

And with that said, he grabbed his sword and vanished, as if he had never been there at all. As soon as he was gone, Shinji's allies rushed over to him, forcing healing item's into his mouth. They knew Shinji. They knew he'd accept that challenge. And right now, he needed their help more than ever.


	33. Chapter 32 – Stone and Steel

**Chapter 32 – Stone and Steel**

* * *

It took a lot of work to fix enough of Shinji's ribcage for him to get up. They ran out of items before they could finish patching him up, so they knew they'd have to get him some proper healing before his rematch with Terre, that or let him go into the fight with at least one fractured rib, probably more. Nether the less, he could walk, so at least they didn't have to carry him. As he walked, each of his allies trailed behind him, their thoughts clouded.

Samantha was deeply saddened by Shinji's state. Not only was it a brutal beating, but it forced her to rethink her own plans. She had been thinking about how strong the Persona user was for a while now. She almost envied that strength, and no matter how much she tried to resist, the thought of dragging him into her own battles flooded her mind. She needed strength to fulfil her promise and his would have been a great help. But now she wasn't sure. He had resolve, but if he couldn't defeat Terre, how could he defeat her enemy?

Masaru wasn't surprised by the outcome. His leader had been reckless, jumping into a fight against a powerful opponent when he hadn't even had a chance to adapt to his new arm. The fact that he could barely use his weapon was an inevitable outcome. The same was true of his strong but slow fighting style being helpless against Terre's fast and brutal martial arts. What had surprised the Ronin however was that in spite of all of this, Shinjiro kept fighting, and even managed to land several powerful hits on his opponent towards the end. He had stubbornly dived into a fight that he couldn't win, but that same stubbornness made him keep fighting and almost made him make the impossible a certainty. Masaru knew then that Shinjiro had the potential to win this rematch, but that chance was slim.

Aki's thoughts were the most conflicted though. While most were beginning to doubt Shinji's skills, or believe that he was rushing ahead foolishly, Aki could only think about how strong the combatants were. When they first met, Shinji easily defeated him and he swore that he would follow him till he could one day get a rematch and prove that he could stand against the Human. Now, here was a man who managed to defeat Shinji, apparently with little difficulty. Did that mean that there were people just that much stronger than Shinji, stronger than himself? Or did it mean that Shinji's arm had made him weak? If that was the case, were they equal now? And if so, why wasn't he satisfied? But above all else, his thoughts kept drifting back to Terre, specifically to when the swordsman had been disarmed and switched to a hand to hand style. Something about it seemed so familiar. It was if those moves had been imprinted on his brain a long time ago, but he couldn't remember from where, or who left them there.

Then he remembered.

"OHMYGODIT'STHATGUY!" He shouted, leaving everyone within five feet of him (Namely everyone in the group) clutching their ears at his sudden and loud outburst. Once they were done glaring at him and nursing their damaged ear drums, they tried to make sense of just what he had said. Shinjiro was the first to realise what he'd been trying to say.

"Wait... you know that guy?"

"Yeah! I mean... sorta. We met once about ten years ago. It was during my time training with Master Champloo..."

* * *

_It had been a normal day for Aki. He'd just finished his lessons for the day (Most of which he'd failed at) and was on his way back to his room, when he noticed a boy leaning against a nearby wall. He was young, his head reaching about halfway up Aki's chest. Some bandages were wrapped around his right eye, so he must have been hurt there recently. His uncovered eye was lavender in colour, and filled with a quiet anger. Since he was just a child, Aki saw no harm in trying to start a conversation with the kid. "Hey there!"_

_The boy looked at him, his annoyance at being spoken to obvious. "What?"_

_Aki was a little surprised by how bitter this child's tone was. All he did was try to start a conversation with him. What had he done wrong? "I just thought I'd try talking to ya. That's all."_

_"Well don't. I have nothing to say to you, and anything you say to me will just be a waste of my time."_

_"How do you know that? We just met. I might be smarter than you think."_

_"Really? Then answer me this. You train under Champloo as well. Why? Why do you seek strength?"_

_"That's easy. To prove myself."_

_"To who? Family? Friends? Yourself?"_

_"The world."_

_"That's just naïve. To do that you'd have to become the strongest being in the world. And then if someone beats you, then you lose everything."_

_"Then I won't lose." The boy was left silent by this statement, but it seemed that Aki's confident smile bothered him. Then, without even the slightest warning, he dashed forward and forcefully pressed his palm into the Demon's ribcage, knocking him back several feet. When he finished sliding back, Aki looked up at the boy, who's annoyance had been replaced with a cold determination as his body shifted into a fighting stance, the same one he would use for the next ten years._

_"You want to be the strongest in the world? Then prove you can even fight."_

_Aki was never one to back down from a challenge, no matter who he was fighting, and entered his own combat stance. "OK kid. I can dance with ya."_

_Without waiting, Aki charged and tried to kick his opponent in the chin. Much to his surprise, the boy ducked under his attack with ease and tightly grabbed his ankle. Then, with strength no boy of his age should possess, he flipped his silver haired opponent over his shoulder, the angle of his attack ensuring that his target landed on his face. Determined not to be defeated, Aki responded by pushing himself onto his hand and spinning around, his legs forming a perfect circle as he slowly advanced on the boy._

_To avoid the attack, the black haired child began making a serious of rapid back steps, his expression never showing any signs of concern. Eventually Aki was forced to stop his attack and planted his feet back on the ground, pulling himself upright in the same motion, and readapting his original stance. This time, he decided to wait what his foe would do, before attacking._

_Sadly, the boy was faster than he anticipated, and easily slipped under his defence. Before he knew it, his chest was being subjected to a series of rapid blows, while his legs were gradually kicked out from underneath him. once he was on his knees, the boy grabbed him by the sides of his head and looked him straight in the eyes. "Do you want to know why you're losing?"_

_Before Aki could say anything, the boy's forearm collided with the side of his head, which would have knocked him over, if his opponent hadn't caught him and forced him back upright._

_"The answer is simple. It's because you're still weak." Another blow, this time to the opposite side of his head, and just like before, he was forced upright, just so he could be hit again and again, each time with the boy saying the same word to him, over and over again. "Weak."_

_Finally the boy decided that it was time to end this and hit both sides of Aki's head at the same time. After a moment of swaying back and forth, Aki fell backward, the child finally letting him collapse from the pain. Blood flowed from both sides of his head and he could barely see streight. As he lay there, the boy walked into his sight and looked down at him. When he finally got next to Aki's head, he crouched down and made his disoriented enemy look at him. "With a reason like yours, you'll never win. You'll never be strong. The world doesn't care about you and it never will. So I'll ask you again, why do you seek strength?"_

_Aki couldn't answer, partly because of the massive head trauma and partly because this fight had made him start to question himself. He had just lost to a child. Was he that weak? Or was the boy right? Was his reason for fighting not enough? But his lack of an answer was in a way all the answer the boy needed to hear. He let out a sigh._

_"I knew you couldn't answer. So few can. And only those who know the answer are strong. That's why you'll never be strong." With his words spoken, the boy turned to leave._

_Aki was normally a calm, if passionate man, accepting most things and people as they were. But to hear this child talk down to him like this made anger enter his mind for the first time in who knew how long. With great difficulty, he forced himself to his knees and yelled after the boy. "And if I find the answer!? Will you think me strong them!?"_

_The boy stopped and turned, now with a vaguely curious expression. "Is that a challenge? Hmph, so be it. If you find the answer, maybe I'll accept it."_

_And then he left just as Aki's strength left him and he collapsed to the ground, his vision fading completely._

* * *

"... After that, I never saw him again. Till now at least."

Everyone listened intently to his story. Sadly, it didn't boost any of them's morale. instead it just made them realise how dangerous Terre was, even from a young age. Throughout all this, Masaru had been taking notes and looked confused by something. "Aki, you said this was ten years ago, and he only measured up to your chest right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, if that's true, then there's no way he's a Demon like us. if it was only ten years, he wouldn't have grown that much." One by one, everyone realised the significance of Masaru's statment. Saiduq was the one to voice it.

"So you're saying that Terre guy... is human?"

"He must be. There's no other explanation." That just made everyone more depressed. This meant that Shinjiro and Aki, two of the strongest members of the team, were beaten by a human with his bare hands, the latter back when said human was still a child. How could he become so strong so young? And if he was that strong ten years ago, how strong would he be now?

"Human or not, I'll beat him." Shinjji said, putting as much force into his words as he could. Of all the people to question him, Aki was one of the last ones he expected.

"How!? You've seen how strong he is! And we both know he's not gonna hold back!"

"And neither will I!"

"You think that matters!? He destroyed us once! He'll do it again! Especially-"

"Espescially what!? Were you gonna say somethin' about my arm!? Don't think I haven't noticed how you all glance at me like I'm dying! This means nothing! And if it takes beating him to make you all realise that-"

"Just. Stop!" Aki yelled. Then after taking a deep breath, he began to speak in a quiet tone, almost a whisper really. "You have nothing to prove. We lost against him. We lost against the Seniors. We've lo-"

He never finished his sentence, as he felt a metallic fist press itself into his face, easily sending him back into a nearby ice wall, the entire thing shattering from the impact. He looked up with shock in his eyes. Shinji stood before him, grim determination carved into his face. "What's wrong Aki. I thought you said you'd follow me till you got your rematch. Well here it is! Beat me, and you can walk away, give up and live a life of hopelessness. But if I win, you follow me till this war's over and you and I are standing above the Overlord's crippled body!"

Aki wasn't so stupid to not realise what was happening in front of him. If Shinji won, He'd prove that he was right and Aki would have no choice but to follow him. But if Aki won, then Shinji would still be proven right, and Aki would probably still follow him. And running or surrendering were words that Aki didn't know the meaning of. But it was this, staring down a powerful enemy, waiting to see what kind of fight you'd have with him, that excited Aki more than anything. He couldn't help but smile, and let out a small chuckle. "Ok then. Let's dance!"

As everyone else took a cautious step back Shinji entered a stance similar to how a boxer would stand. That kind of stance wasn't good for running away, which suited him fine. "Let me show you, that my resolve is as strong as stone and steel!"

To be fair, Shinji waited till Aki made the first move. It seemed like the right thing to do after attacking him while he was off guard like that. Aki didn't disappoint with his attack, performing a running jump kick that almost shattered his defence. It was only thanks to his quick guard that Aki didn't completely destroy his already damaged ribcage. His metal arm absorbed a lot of the impact as well and there was no sign it was critically damaged. If there was one good thing to say about Mao, it was that when he built something, he built it strong.

Not waiting for Aki to follow up on his attack, Shinjiro responded with a kick of his own straight to the martial artists knee. He was able to keep his balance, but it did throw his balance off long enough for Shinji to headbutt him in the nose. It wasn't the first time he'd felt that, and it hurt just as much now as it did then. He recovered in time to narrowly avoid a metal punch aimed at his chin, performing a backflip on instinct. By now adrenaline was pumping through his entire body. His smile had grown wide and he laughed as he stood up straight and took up a familiar stance.

Shinji recognised it. It was the very stance he'd used against Mei back when she was their enemy. The Punishing Stance. Now no matter what he did, Aki would counter it, and he didn't know how many hits he could take right now. Even if Aki's counter didn't finish him, it would hurt like hell and make him weaker. He had to make his next attack count. And he thought he knew just how to make it happen. Charging forwards at full speed, he hoped that his plan would work. Aki's almost sinister smile made him feel uncomfortable but he wouldn't turn back.

Not now, not ever.

And just before he reached his foe, he forced both his feet forwards and leaned back, falling onto his back. Just like he hoped, his momentum combined with the ice surface to propel him right between the opening Aki left in between his legs. As he went past, he grabbed the surprised fighter's ankle, using his target's surprise and his own speed to pull him off his feet and to send him onto his face. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly got up and punched Aki in the back of the head. Sadly he could get no further than that before Aki spun his legs out and kicked him in the side of his ribcage with enough force to propel him sideways. In the same motion, Aki got to his feet and looked at his collapsed leader. "That all? Come on, wounded or not, you're tougher than that."

He was right. Shinjiro was nowhere near done yet. As he slammed his fist into the ground, sending cracks throughout the floor as he did, he forced himself upwards. His rib was now a serious problem. The way it broke made it painful to breath, but that wasn't going to stop him. His attempts to punch Aki in the gut and head proved that he wasn't even letting his pain slow him down. Aki was doing a good job of dodging them, most of them either completely missing or grazing him at best. Eventually he decided it was time to counter attack, and he was going to put everything he had into this attack.

After dodging one of Shinji's punches with a well timed duck, he pulled back his fist before driving into the Human's gut, before repeating the motion with his other hand, switching back after the second successful hit. He repeated this motion, gaining speed with each blow, some landing on Shinji's stomach, the other's dealing more and more damage to his ribs. After about twenty hits like this, he pulled his right hand down and, kicking off the ground with all his strength, performed a jumping uppercut straight into Shinjiro's jaw, sending him into the air, before he landed painfully on his back, creating even more cracks in the ice.

After a moment to catch his breath, he began to approach his leader, who lay very still on the ground. "That was fun. But it's over."

"You're right... it is..." And with speed no one in his state should have been able to muster, Shinjiro got up and grabbed both of Aki's wrists in his hands. Before Aki could even think about reacting, he felt the Persona user's head collide with his own again, with enough force to disorientate him. At that moment, Shinji forced the martial artist over his shoulders, stretching him as much as he could. He felt like his chest was on fire but he wouldn't stop now. And, with as much strength as he could muster at the time, he jumped into the air, leaned back, and landed back first on top of Aki, who had a noticeably more painful landing.

The fight probably would have continued for longer after that, if not for something the two had been neglecting to notice throughout their fight. The ice was breaking. Suddenly, the ice beneath Aki shattered, and it was a long way down. Even for a Demon, this kind of fall would be lethal, or at the very least heavily crippling. As soon as Aki felt the ice break he knew this was it for him. He was scared, but he knew there was nothing he could do to save himself.

Thankfully, someone else could do something, and did. Using the same absurd speed as before, Shinjiro grabbed him by the wrist once more, stopping Aki's descent, but putting them both in danger of falling. He could feel himself slipping, but there was nothing he could do but hold onto Aki and hope the others could get there in time. Thankfully for both of them, they did and one by one they grabbed onto Shinji and helped him pull their ally to safety.

Aki could have sworn his entire life flashed before his eyes for a second there. All those memories made him realise something, something he had long forgotten, or maybe he'd just ignored it till now. Either way, his eyes were open for the first time in too long. Looking up at the man who had saved his life, he knew what he needed to say. "Shinjiro... You're right. You do have what it takes. I realise now, why you're stronger than me. And why you'll be the one to beat Terre."

"Why's that?"

"Because until now, I fought for the sake of fighting, for strength. But I forgot my reason for fighting. You though... you never lost sight of it. And as long as you remember it, I know you'll win." With his speech done, Aki stood to his feet and extended his hand to his leader. "And as long as you keep winning, I'll keep following you. Because this fight reminded me of my reason. And as long as I'm with you, I know won't forget it."

With a small smile, Shinjiro accepted the outstretched hand and let his ally pull him to his feet. "Good to hear."

His smile fading, Aki turned to the others. "I'll personally vouch for his strength. If any of you still doubt him, then you must have blinded yourselves."

Kirijo was quick to join their side, giving Shinji a firm nod. Masaru soon followed, claiming that he trusted Aki's judgment. One by one, everyone else took their places around the two, doubt fading from their bodies, and faith taking it's place. The two couldn't help but smile at this, though Aki's was short lived once he saw Shinjiro mimicking the gesture. "Oh my God, you're actually smiling!"

"Yeah, what about it?" Shinji asked, genuinely curious.

"It's just... I can't remember another time I've seen you smile..."

"He's right." Masaru chimed in, an uncharacteristically mischievous smile on his own face. "I don't think you've smiled a single time since you got here."

"I just... didn't feel like it then!" Shinji insisted, feeling surprisingly uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"It's a nice smile..." Mei commented. "Makes me feel... more confident, I suppose."

"Yeah? Well, don't expect to see it often." Shinji said snarkily, before the pain in his ribs returned, full force. Noticing his pain, Aki and Masaru grabbed one of his arms each and slung it over their shoulders. Without a word, everyone made their way back to the main building, their confidence in their leader, completely restored.


	34. Chapter 33 – Reason to Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recommend listening to "The Only Thing I Know For Real" from Metal Gear Rising during this chapters fight.

**Chapter 33 – Reason to Fight**

* * *

After taking Shinjiro for healing, everyone was amazed that he was still able to fight with how much damage his ribcage had suffered. Over half his ribs were broken, one in such a way that it was barely a centimetre away from piercing his lung, and the rest were heavily fractured. If that fight had lasted any longer, he'd probably have been killed.

Aki was quick to apologise for it, though surprisingly Shinji told him not to, for a very interesting reason. "You didn't hold back, neither will our enemies. If I can take this much punishment from you, then I can take whatever they throw at me."

Aki still felt guilty, but Shinji's words helped. After that everyone was ushered out by Matildo so she could heal him properly. Outside, more than a few people let out yawns. It wasn't surprising since none of them had slept properly in a while. They all agreed that getting at least a little sleep would do them all good.

One of them however, didn't sleep. Instead, he waited for Matildo to leave the room and snuck in once she wasn't looking. Shinji was still awake, and turned to look at him. "Hey."

"How bad is it?" Masaru asked, concern absent from his voice. Then again the Ronin seemed to have a distant relationship with emotions, or at the very least expressing them.

"I'll be fine in a few hours." The injured leader answered with a half-hearted shrug. In response, Masaru walked further into the room and sat on a chair in the darkest corner of the room.

"Do you have a plan?" He said, from the looks of things, not even bothering to look at who he was talking to.

"I'm working on one."

"Well it better be a good one, 'cause he won't hold back."

"Tch. You don't have to tell me that." He could have sworn he heard Masaru chuckle at his answer, but it was so short and quiet, that he couldn't be sure.

"Well, I have something for you." Standing up, he placed something on the table next to Shinji's bed. Turning to see what the Ronin had given him, he was surprised to see a short sword, a wakizashi specifically, held in an ornately designed scabbard.

"What's this for?"

"If you wanna win, you'll need it." Shinjiro wasn't sure what evidence the swordsman had to back up this claim, so he signalled for him to explain. "You specialise with an axe, but you're right arm can't keep a hold of it, while you're left isn't used to the weight. That thing's got an easier to hold grip, and it's lighter. Plus, it's quicker to use than an axe, and when you're using it , it's easier to enter a defensive stance. Given your condition, it just makes sense."

"You've really thought this through…"

"While everyone else was watching you fight, I was watching your hands. I noticed what they didn't. I saw what you did right and what you did wrong. And I planned accordingly."

"Heh. I thought everything I did was wrong in your eyes."

Masaru let out a sigh and looked towards the ceiling, Shinji getting the briefest glimpse of his eyes as he did. It was the first time he'd seen them, and even if it was for only the shortest time, he could see a strange sadness in them, as if there was no life at all in them. "You wanna know why I'm such a bastard to you? Because before every fight, I judge what you should be able to do. And every time you've proven me wrong. You keep exceeding my expectations, even when I raise them to beyond what should be possible. That makes you interesting. I want to see where you'll go, but to do that, you need to know what you do wrong. And none of the others see things like I do, so it's my job to tell you."

That answer had probably been the last thing Shinji had expected to hear from the Ronin. Until now, he'd gotten the impression that Masaru looked down on him, like he wasn't worth his time. To hear that he was actually proving himself to the swordsman was a surprise, but not an unwanted one. "You really mean that?"

"… That, and if Aki's going to follow you till this mission's done, then I'm stuck with you till the end. I'd quite like to see this little adventure over quickly."

"You and me both…" With his piece said, and his gift given, Masaru turned to leave, picking up Shinjiro's axe on his way.

"I'll hold onto this for you, till you're used to the sword. When you're ready, I'll give it back."

At first Shinji just nodded, but then something entered his mind. An idea. An insane idea. But it was the best one he'd had so far. "Wait! I have an idea!"

Masaru tilted his head, which seemed to be his own way of telling Shinji to continue. "I'll need the axe though."

The swordsman looked at it, then back at his leader, for once looking genuinely confused and curious. "What have you got in mind?"

"A plan for victory." Shinjiro said with a confident smile. After a second, Masaru grinned himself, as if Shinjiro's smiles were contagious.

"You know, Mei was right… I do feel more confident when you do that." And without another word, he rested the axe against Shinjiro's bed and left the room, to get some much needed sleep.

A few hours later, Matildo declared that all of Shinjiro's wounds had healed and sent him on his way. Outside, he found his teammates asleep in, what he assumed, was the waiting room. Despite the fact that most of them were Demons, they looked completely human as they slept. Samantha was curled up like a cat next to Saiduq, who seemed to have placed his arm over her while he slept, while Mei was cuddling next to the black Prinny that served her, like it was a giant plush toy. Though he was a bit worried about her using it as one, considering the explosive nature of Prinnys. Dai and Juro were asleep with their back to the wall, with Juro's hat pulled over his face. Aki was sleeping in the most natural position and was tossing and turning quite a bit, but seemed to be having a good dream. Masaru was nearby, looking like he'd fallen asleep while sitting cross legged, which seemed to be the strangest of the sleeping habits of the group. And it would seem that Kirijo had, thankfully, learned his lesson from what had happened before, and was now sleeping a good distance away from the dangerous catgirl.

Figuring that he could leave them to sleep a little while longer, he decided that now was a good chance to pay Takehisa a visit to see what the sword could offer him. The Ninja gave a courteous bow to the Persona user, before sending them both into his mind.

The heat was overwhelming. Even if this was just an illusion or visual metaphor he could barely stand it. Then again he got the feeling that this was very real, and that he should be very careful around the fire. He knew he shouldn't waste time and immediately went to pull the sword free of its pillar. It came loose easily, and he felt knowledge flow into him. Contrary to the previous two styles, where his abilities had been focussed entirely on his hands so far, this technique required him to channel his energy into his legs. If he didn't, then he wouldn't have the speed to pull it off. No doubt this move would be useful against Terre and his dangerously fast combat style.

But he wasn't done yet. He could feel the strength to remove one more block and, figuring that he'd likely be disarmed no matter what he did, decided that now would be a good time to improve his skill with his bare hands. The gauntlet put up more of a fight this time, but he pulled it free, and once again he saw a new skill in his mind.

Now though, he had to leave. Not only was he out of Mana to use, but the fire had started to encircle the area, increasing the heat to ungodly levels. The fire was worrying him more and more each visit. Every time he got stronger, so did it. He needed to keep going back if he wanted to get stronger, but facing the fire was getting too much to handle.

When Takehisa took them both back to the real world, he could feel himself sweating, both from the heat and from the various worries the fire brought to light. But now wasn't the time to be nervous, or to think about what the fire meant. His team was starting to stir, and he had an appointment to get to.

* * *

With weapons prepared, plan in mind and allies at his back, Shinjiro set foot in the lava flooded wing of the school once more. Last time he had been there, he and his group had lost to Mao's group, a painful memory to say the least. Whether or not Terre knew this when he selected this place as their battlefield was unknown, but either way, Shinji wasn't going to let it faze him.

He had been a bit worried that his new arm wouldn't react well to the heat, but the others had confirmed that it was made out of a temperature resistant metal, so no matter how hot or cold it got, the arm would still work fine, and wouldn't negatively affect the flesh it was connected to. He didn't know if they were telling the truth, but it did make him feel a little more comfortable.

The group walked to the very end of this wing of the school, where they came across a larger room, almost like a coliseum. As expected, Terre was there, sitting with his blade across his lap. "You're earlier than I expected."

"Let's cut to the chase."

"Fine with me." As he spoke, he turned and drew his sword. "Same rules as before?"

"Deal." Pulling out his axe with his metal hand, Shinjiro entered his battle stance once more, as his allies pulled to the side lines. Once he knew they were safe, Shinjiro flung his axe straight at Terre's face. The dark haired man lazily leaned back to dodge it, it missing his face by only a few inches, and it embedded itself into a nearby wall. With the threat passed, the swordsman charged at the Persona user with incredible speed. Shinji didn't try to run from the attack, he simply waited in its path, no obvious plan in mind.

Then, just before Terre could strike, he drew the sword Masaru had given him, which he had managed to hide from Terre's sight, and deflected the attack with a well-timed swing. The force of the attack knocked Terre off balance, which was impressive considering that Shinji was using his weaker, left hand to hold the sword. Seizing the opportunity he had bought himself, he shoulder tackled Terre, deliberately lining his metal fist into the fazed enemy's stomach, sending him flying back.

To his credit, despite being knocked off balance at the time, Terre was able to land on his feet and slid to a stop not too far from his adversary. It was especially good for him, since if he hadn't, there was no way he could have dodged the follow up attack aimed at his midsection. "You've gotten better."

"I'm just getting started." Shinji said before trying to kick Terre in the shin, only for his kick to be blocked with an identical one. At this point, both realised that their opponent was open for their attacks and swung their blades at the others exposed chests. Naturally both blades met in the middle and a contest of strength was soon at play, both resting both hands on the blade to increase the force they applied.

"I admit, you have strength, but only of body. I can see your soul and it. Is. Weak!" As he said this last word, he summoned all the strength he possessed and pushed Shinjiro's sword from him. Now was his chance to end this, just like before.

Before he could act though, Shinjiro reached out and grabbed his sword arm, squeezing it as tight as his metallic hand would let him, keeping it held firmly over Terre's own head. With his main means of attack disabled, Shinjiro saw nothing to protect Terre's chest from a series of rapid punches from his free left hand. He got in at least six hits, and strong ones too till his target caught his fist with his free hand.

In an attempt to get Shinjiro to release his vice grip on his wrist, Terre reared his head back and sent it right into his opponent's own. The effect was less then he hoped, with Shinji leaning back slightly before responding with a headbutt so strong Terre swore he felt it on the back of his head as well. When he finally regained his vision, he looked to see the Persona user smiling with confidence. "Don't think you've won yet!"

"I know. But I will soon." Now it was time for Shinjiro to enact his plan. If this went wrong, he'd be doomed, but if it worked, he could win this fight yet. Summoning all his energy into his right hand, the same hand that was keeping Terre from attacking, he used an attack that he had only used once before, and never like this. But it worked like a charm, as he witnessed his axe pull itself free of the rock it had embedded itself in and flew towards his hand.

The fact that the hand was occupied was irrelevant to the metal instrument, as its blade sunk into Terre's unprepared arm, tearing a huge gash in it, before flying past. The pain was enough for him to drop his sword, and he hastily let go of Shinjiro's other hand to grip his own bleeding limb. But that was a big mistake, for as soon as he did, Shinjiro released his own grip on it and used both his fists to begin pummeling Terre's chest, before finishing with a right uppercut into his dazed opponent's jaw.

As Terre recovered from his injuries, his normally calm demeanour faded, as his face twisted in anger. "Looks like I underestimated you… Even so, you lack resolve."

"You really are stupid aren't you? I've had resolve since I first got to this damn Netherworld."

"Then answer me. How can you protect others, when you can't even protect yourself?"

"With my own flesh if I have to. I'll always find a way to save them, even if I have to take on every Demon and any God that tries to stop me!"

"And if you lose!? What then!?"

"Then I'll punch death in the face and keep fighting!" To emphasise his point, Shinji said this while swinging a punch at his still pained foe's face. This time Terre dodged it, but barely. The pain in his arm had affected him badly. He was slower, and that arm would be less useful now. Now he was the one in trouble, but he wasn't done yet.

As soon as he dodged his enemy's last punch, Terre performed a spinning kick to Shinjiro's legs, knocking him to the ground in the process. He tried to follow up with a heel slam kick, only for it to hit Shinjiro's artificial arm, and bouncing off helplessly. Seizing the opportunity, Shinji grabbed the vulnerable leg and forced himself to his feet, before spinning around and throwing the longcoat wearing man into the side of a pillar.

Terre hadn't been this angry in a long time. Then again, it was the first time in a long time he'd been on the losing side of a fight. That combined with the fact that he didn't like the Persona user, ensured that he couldn't be calm as long as they were both standing. With that rage filling his entire body, he lunged forward, the pain in his arm fading as he performed a rapid series of kicks and arm sweeps in Shinjiro's direction.

Even with all the damage Terre had suffered to his arm, Shinji still wasn't taking a chance that he was any weaker than before, and did all he could to dodge or block the attacks with his arms. Terre's speed hadn't suffered, so this was easier said than done. Inevitably, he made a mistake, and Terre's forearm smashed into his jaw, almost dislocating it. He may not have been attacking as logically, or as effectively, but Terre's anger was making his attacks hit harder than ever, a fact further proven by said swordsman's knee being driven into his gut. It knocked the wind out of him, leaving him open to an elbow to the spine and a simultaneous second kneeing to the ribcage.

' _Great, I just fixed those ribs…'_ Shinjiro thought bitterly, as he grabbed Terre around the waist and flipped him over his back, bringing his entire weight down on the angry man. Knowing that that attack wasn't enough, he soon rolled off the man and pulled himself to his feet. At the same time, Terre leapt to his own feet. He would have immediately spun around and continued attacking, if he hadn't spotted something laying on the ground in front of him. His sword. He grabbed it without delay and turned to face his enemy.

As soon as Shinji saw that Terre had his blade back, he knew his advantage had faded. In a fight between his fists and Terre's blade, he'd lose, and lose fast. But he knew that the same trick he'd used before wouldn't work, and even if it would, he didn't have the energy to pull it off again. He could see the sword Masaru had given him lay embedded in the ground a few feet away. That was his best chance.

He just had to make it before Terre got to him.

Using all the strength he could, he started running towards the discarded blade, Terre getting closer and closer by the second. As he was about three feet away from the blade, he desperately dove towards it. He made his move at just the right time, narrowly dodging the black katana aimed at his spinal cord. While in mid-air, he grabbed the hilt of the sword and felt it pull out of the ground as he flew past.

Barely landing on his feet, he turned towards Terre and, before his target could realise what was happening, dashed forwards, blade in hand. "It's over for you!"

The blade cut clean through Terre's side, sending blood flying in a perfect arc. For a moment, Terre just stood there in shock, before the pain of the attack sunk in, and he sank to his knees in agony, using his blade to stop himself from collapsing completely. "… H-how…? How can you… beat me?"

Glancing at the defeated swordsman over his shoulder, Shinji answered with a voice so calm, no one would have known he had just been fighting for his life, "Because I don't fight for me. Others will be let down if I die here. What about you? Who do you fight for? Who'll suffer if you die?"

"…" And for all his words till now, Terre had no answer.

"Champloo sends you a message. 'Look into the clear mirror, and see hope's reflection'." Whatever the words meant, they made Terre's eyes widen as his head shot upright.

"I... I see... I have to investigate this..." With considerable effort and noticable pain, he forced himself to his feet.

"Wait! You said you'd tell me how you know about Persona's if I defeated you!"

"... I didn't say when." And before Shinjiro could stop him, or say another word, Terre vanished once again, the blood on the floor being the only proof he'd been there at all.

* * *

Needless to say, the group was pleased with the outcome, even if they were disappointed that Terre had left without answering any of their questions. The damage to Shinji's body was noticeably less than what he had suffered in his last two fights. The others had been quick to compliment his use of the Boomerang Axe skill to disarm Terre, and his surprising skill with the sword, which he'd passed off as it being light and easy to use.

But all conversations ceased when they returned to the main hall, and saw someone asleep in front of the Prinny statue. The group had a guess about what this meant, and Shinjiro knew it was true. Another human had died in the Dark Hour, and had appeared here. And once again, it was someone he recognised, and one he knew to be careful of. "Take her to the healer's and keep her restrained. I don't think she's on our side."

In spite of their confusion at the request, Dai and Juro obliged and carried her off, her white, gothic Lolita style dress brushing against the floor as they did. Shinjiro wasn't going to take any chances with this one. Kirijo had a hunch why he did this, and decided to ask his young leader if he wass correct. "Aragaki. Is that...?"

"... Chidori Yoshino. Member of Strega."

* * *

Meanwhile, a girl with pink hair awoke inside what appeared to be a cell. She didn't know how she got there, since the last thing she remembered was fighting a man that could easily be mistaken for a tank. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of clapping. Turning, she saw a man with blonde hair in a blue hoodie. "So, the princess is finally awake."

She didn't hesitate to attack him, sending a large crystal spike at his heart. Desperately diving out of the way, the man pressed a button that lifted her cage high into the air.

"Not so tough now, are you girl?" He was answered by a crystal penetrating his foot from beneath. "AAARRRGGGHHH!"

"Don't think your little trick can stop me. I was born to kill!" Ciel screamed down at him, in a mix of rage and joy. Before the man could retaliate in anger, another man emerged from the shadows. ths one wore a tattered black cloak with similarly damaged slacks, rounded off with a pair of combat boots. He had white hair and had two katana attached to his waist, the hilts connected by a long, thin chain.

"Raiga, calm yourself. She is an asset for our victory. I won't have you breaking her yet." He told the warrior, who was clutching at his bleeding foot. Ciel started laughing at the mystery man's statement, as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

"Me? An asset? Don't make me laugh! There's only one thing I serve, and that's the desire to kill flowing through my blood!"

"Oh, I know. but if you help us, not only will you see the greatest bloodshed to ever grace this Netherworld, but I can provide you with the location of two men I know you want to kill more than anything."

"And who would they be?"

"Shinjiro Aragaki, and the man who left you to die." At the sound of those words, Ciel suddenly looked very serious. Her gaze was now focussed on the man in front of her.

"Tell me more."


	35. Chapter 34 – Spilled Blood

**Chapter 34 – Spilled Blood**

* * *

He made sure that her restraints were firm. While Chidori seemed the most stable of Strega's members, that didn't mean he was going to let his guard down around her. To further ensure that she wasn't going to try anything, he gave the others strict instructions that one of them has to be watching her at all times.

Right now he needed to pay Mao a visit. If the crazy Demon could build this arm, surely he could upgrade it. Shinjiro had noted that it had several faults, and hopefully he could convince Mao to do something about it.

It seemed that Mao was hanging around the main hall, discussing something with his allies, occasionally throwing in an evil laugh. Eventually Almaz spotted Shinji standing a few feet away from them and approached him. "Man, am I glad to see you. Hate to be rude, but can I ask you a favour?"

"You wouldn't be the first." He muttered, casting a glance over at Champloo, who still hadn't noticed he was there.

"Well… The Senior classrooms are coming in soon. Mao's planning to launch a counterattack while they're docked. He's confident about it, but… I just think we need more man power if we're gonna pull this off."

Shinjiro didn't really need to think about it. He wanted to take the Seniors down, and having Mao and his team helping would definitely save time. Plus, when would he get a second chance to hit them at their own base. "I'm in. Just point me in their direction."

Almaz's relieved smile was comforting, and he shook Shinji's metal hand as thanks, though he quickly pulled it back, when he pricked himself on the sharpened fingers. "Thank you! I know you'll make a huge difference!"

"Don't thank me. I want to knock those assholes down a few pegs. This'll make that a hell of a lot easier."

"Well whatever your reason, I'll feel a little safer knowing you'll be there." Their conversation was interrupted at this point, since Mao had come over and grabbed hold of Shinji's arm.

"Come with me. I need to perform some work on that arm."

"How'd you know that's what I came here for?"

"I didn't. I was planning on dragging you to my lab and doing this work whether you liked it or not!" That was not something that made Shinjiro comfortable following this guy, but it was what he came here for, so he had no right to argue now.

When they reached Mao's lab, the white-haired boy grabbed several dangerous looking tools, and laid them out on a table. "According to my data, the arm suffered some damage during your last few fights. A protective plate should decrease that risk…"

"How do you know about my fights?"

"I installed something in your arm that analyses your combat data, and sends it straight to my glasses." As if to prove his point, he pushed said glasses further up his face, catching the light with them as he did. The Persona user didn't really feel comfortable knowing that the creepiest Demon he'd met so far was, in a way, watching him all the time, but if it made him stronger, he'd accept it. "Now all I need to do is to calculate the data and soon I'll have made the greatest weapon in the Netherworld!"

After that was said, Mao got to work on upgrades, not responding to anything Shinjiro tried to say. He worked at incredible speed, building some highly advanced looking components in a matter of minutes. In just fifteen minutes, he'd finished and disconnected Shinji's arm from its slot so he could start installing them.

After a quick repair, Mao installed the armour-plate to the previously damaged area. The thick plate would decrease the risk of such damage happening again. Next was an all-new hand with somewhat more natural looking fingers. While the old hand's fingers only bent once in the middle, this one's looked like they moved more naturally, though he doubted that would make it easier to hold his axe. Also, while the old hand had claws in place of fingertips, this one had retractable ones installed at the end, so he could choose whether or not he wanted to scratch something, instead of having it happen automatically. Finally, Mao installed a new, heat absorbing metal over the hand. This one made less sense, and Shinjiro had to find out why he did it.

"After your fight in the lava wing of the school, I realised that the temperature neutralising material was a good idea. But I also realised that I could add regular metal to the hand, so it can absorb heat normally, without affecting the rest of your arm."

"So… Say my hand gets hit by a fireball, my hand will get heated, but not the rest of my arm?" It still baffled him why Mao would install it, but then he realised where the mad scientist was coming from. "And then I hit my enemies with my ultra-hot fist!"

"You catch on fast. Faster than most people anyway. Naturally, to avoid damage to the metal, you should avoid trying to do this, but the point is that now you can. And more importantly, if you do, then I get all the data that comes with it~!" Mao exclaimed, drooling slightly. His interest in science was… disturbing to say the least. Part of Shinji thought it would be best to run before Mao decided to perform any experiments, but he doubted that would help any. So instead he just waited for Mao to reattach his arm. "We're done here. Now get out. I wanna try a cross a turtle with a landmine before we strike the Senior's base."

'… _I'm just gonna ignore that.'_ Shinji thought to himself, leaving the Demon to himself. Besides, he had somewhere to be right now anyway.

* * *

Chidori had woken up in the time he was gone, and Samantha had been kind enough to fill her in on what was going on. Shinjiro decided to wait outside of her hospital room till Samantha finished. Once he felt they'd reached an acceptable point (After Chidori had been corrected about being here to repent), he knocked on the door, before gently pushing it open. Inside he saw Chidori sitting on the bed, while Samantha sat on a chair next to it. Both of them fixed their eyes on him when he entered, Chidori's showing surprise that the dead man was in front of her, though it quickly faded once she remembered her own circumstances. He quietly grabbed a nearby stool and placed it next to her bed, before sitting down on it. It was only after he did that he spoke to her, his eyes locked firmly on her, in case she tried anything. "I see that my ally has answered some of your questions, now you're going to answer ours. How did you get here?"

Chidori showed no emotion as she replied, though this he expected from her. "Interrogating me already? I'm not surprised. I'd do the same in your place…"

"Just answer the question."

Chidori looked sad as she remembered, "My former allies came for me. They convinced me to challenge SEES. Naturally, I lost. I was outnumbered and conflicted. After that, Takaya and Jin arrived and challenged them. Junpei stood up to them… and Takaya shot him."

Shinji couldn't help but recoil in shock at this. Iori had been shot? Did that mean he was down here as well? He didn't voice his thoughts, instead allowing Chidori to finish her story. "Once he did, I felt… pained. It was as if suddenly nothing mattered anymore. Suddenly the only thought in my mind was 'I would die to bring him back'. So that's what I did. I used my Persona to channel my life force into him. And then, I was here."

Shinjiro didn't entirely believe her story, after all she was allied with the very man who shot him and tried to preserve the Dark Hour for his own selfish desires. Nonetheless, she showed no obvious signs of lying, and nothing about her story seemed impossible, so he decided to accept it for now. "When did this happen?"

"During the Dark Hour, just outside of Tartarus." Well, at least her story didn't contradict what they'd already assumed, and he could keep assuming that only those who died during the Dark Hour arrived here.

"What can you tell me about the end of the world?" That made her snap upright.

"How do you know about that?"

"I'm asking the questions. When I'm done, you can ask yours. Now answer mine."

She seemed annoyed at his answer, but complied nonetheless. "Takaya told me that the end of the world, or as he called it, the Fall, would be because of a being called Nyx. He said she would descend on this world towards the end of January, and there would be nothing SEES or anyone else could do to stop her."

Nyx, the name meant nothing to him, and he'd never heard the end be called the Fall before. Regardless, at least it was a while off. If it wasn't till January he had several months to finish this war, beat the Overlord and get home before it happened. "Do you expect me to believe you?"

"No." She said almost immediately. She was right to say it though, since that was probably the answer he would have accepted the most. "I've commit many sins, against you, your friends and others. Trusting me would just be foolish."

Shinjiro sighed, he knew he shouldn't trust her, but there was nothing to prove he couldn't. And even if he could, what would he do? Keep someone here all the time to keep an eye on her? No, then he'd be down at least one teammate at all times. Kill her? No, that would just make him guilty at having ended another life, and for reasons that may have been wrong. And with all that said, he knew there was only one choice of action to take...

"Do you want to go back home?" She tilted her head slightly, that serving as the only sign that she was confused, as her face remained emotionless. "Simple question. Do you want to go home?"

For at least fifteen seconds, there was silence, even the noise outside the hospital room seemed muted as Chidori though of her answer. "... More than anything."

Without a word, Shinji stood up and removed the restraints on her wrists. "Then you're coming with us."

"You would... help me?" She said, obviously not expecting him to do this.

"Don't take it the wrong way. I still don't trust you, and it'll be better to keep an eye on you, than to just leave you here with a guard all the time." Once both her hands were freed, she rubbed her wrists, which were sore from how tight they were. She made no effort to stand, and waited for whatever Shinji would do next. "And don't get any ideas about escaping. I'm sure my team won't hesitate to kill you if you try."

"Where would I run to? My only knowledge of this place is this room. Staying with you would benefit me much more than wandering off on my own." He was almost annoyed at how much sense she was making. It made it easier to trust her, which was something that could get him killed if he wasn't careful. Letting out a sigh, he handed her a small axe, easy enough to use with one hand.

"You always carried one of these around. You'd better know how to use it. Cause if you don't, I won't be responsible for what happens to you." She only nodded in response, before placing it on her bedside table so she could look around the room.

"Where's my Evoker?"

"Couldn't find it. You probably lost it when you died."

"What?! B-but Medea...! I need Medea!" Her previously emotionless face and voice were both flooded with panick as she quickly stood and began desperately searching the room for her Evoker. Shinjiro couldn't help but wonder why she was reacting this way, considering he'd once seen her Persona try to strangle her to death. In order to stop her from tearing the room apart (He got the feeling Matildo wouldn't appreciate that), he walked over to her and grabbed both her arms.

"Calm down! She's not gone, you can get her back! Just calm down and it'll happen sooner!" She took several short breaths as he spoke, his words calming her at least a little. Once he felt she'd calmed enough, he let go of her, and she sat back down. He still didn't know why she was so upset, but he supposed she must have a reason.

"... I need my pills. If I don't take them, Medea won't be happy..." Come to think of it, Shinji hadn't taken any pills since he got to the Netherworld either. He wasn't sure if he should be worried about that.

 _'Ah, don't worry. Not that you're not suppressing your anger, I got nothin' to be angry about. You don't need those damn pills anymore.'_ He heard in his mind, the familiar voice of Castor being surprisingly comforting considering what he was worried about. Though him being in control and Chidori being in control were very different facts, so she might still be at risk if she didn't take them. Then again, she'd be at risk if she did take them, so the question of what to do was a difficult one.

Or at least it would have been if he knew where any of the suppresants were. There was no sign that she had any, and he didn't have any with him when he died. He was worried that he would have to break this to her, but it was at that point she figured it out for herself. She didn't say anything. but her eyes widened, and her breathing quickened. Samantha was soon next to her, trying to calm her down. Shinji knew he wasn't great in situations like this, but he knew he needed to say something to her. "If we finish this quickly, we might make it back in time to get more. So stay calm for now."

His words worked to a limited extent, with Chidori still clearly worried, but she was now calm enough to have stopped hyperventelating. After one last deep breath, she spoke, in a voice that could barely be heard, "I-if I don't take one soon... I have roughly three days."

 _'Why can it never be easy?'_ He thought to himself, cursing this new complication. So, he had to win a war, defeat an Overlord and race back to Earth in three days, or someone who may honestly want to repent would die. Add in that he has to somehow find a way to stop the end of the world, and suddenly Shinjiro's life became the most unnecessarily cruel fate in the world. Regardless, he had to keep moving forward, lest he and all those depending on him be lost.

"We need to meet up with Mao and his team, together we'll launch an assault on the Senior's base and take them out. Then we just have to beat the Overlord." He said to Samantha, knowing that she'd understand what he was talking about. The Nekomata nodded at him, keeping a hand on Chidori's back in a comforting manner. Slowly, she got to her feet and helped Chidori stand up. Together the three of them walked out of the hospital room, to prepare for their assault.

* * *

Upon emerging from the hospital room, Shinji saw that most of his allies were waiting around, though Kirijo and Masaru were absent for whatever reason. Nevertheless, he figured now was as good a time as any to tell the people present the situation. Besides he could tell those two later. "Everyone. This is Chidori. She'll be accompanying us from here on. However, you are not to let her out of your sights."

"What, she gonna bite us?" Saiduq joked. He was a little upset that the others chose to ignore him, but Shinji's small glare kept him from speaking up again.

"I'm uncertain if her story is entirely accurate. Until I am, she is not to be alone at any time. Understood?" One by one, they nodded, some looking more uncomfortable than others about these orders. With that agreed on, Shinji moved on to his next announcment. "Secondlly, the Senior classrooms are docking nearby soon. Mao's group is staging an assault while they're in range. We're going as well. It's time to make those bastards pay."

This announcment went significantly better, with people nodding enthusiasticly, and some of the more battle loving members of the team pumping their fists into the air while yelling "Yeah!"

It was at this point that Masaru arrived back, with some weapons under his arm. "Looks like I picked a good time to go shopping."

As he passed each member, he handed most of them a new weapon. Aki now had a pair of savage looking gauntlets, as did Saiduq. Dai's new sword had a blade like a saw, which was sure to help against their more resiliant enemies. Samantha, who'd made it clear that she favoured her speed to much to use gauntlets, instead got a pair of fingerless gloves, with spikes on the knuckles. Juro got a new gun, this one with a barrel about as long as his forearm. After handing this out, there was only one more weapon, a second, smaller pistol. It didn't take a genius to figure out who that was for.

And it was just at that moment that it's future wielder arrived. The second he did though, their newest "ally" snapped her head in his direction, and rushed at him, her hands reaching for his neck as she ran. She had successfully forced him to the ground by the time Samantha and Saiduq pulled her off him, and even then they couldn't stop her from kicking him in the gut as they pulled her back. As Aki pulled the eye patch wearing man to his feet, Shinji approached Chidori, clearly upset that she was already picking fights with her own teammates. "What the hell was that!?"

"More than he deserves!" She yelled at him, pure rage echoing throughout her voice and spreading across her face. "If it wasn't foor this bastard and his company, I wouldn't be here! It's his fault I've had to suffer like this!"

"If you're talking about the Dark Hour, you're wrong. He had nothing to do with that." He reasoned, figuring that if he could disprove her reasons for hating him, she'd stop trying to throttle him. A logical assumption, though given how angry she was, logic might not work.

"And if he lied?! What if he helped create it?! And even if he didn't, it's still his fault I'm here! His experiments did this to me!"

"Wait. Experiments? What experiments?" He hadn't heard about any of this before. He still didn't know whether or not to trust what she'd say, but he needed to at least hear her out.

"Hundreds of children, taken from off the streets, were brought to the Kirijo group's secret labs, the ones the public don't know exist. Day after day, the scientists there subjected us to nightmares that even you have never seen, all in the hope that at least one of us would gain the gift of a Persona. I almost died everyday for longer than I care to remember. And of the hundreds to undergo those horrors, I was one of only three that lived! Whether he supported it or not, his company and his employees are the ones that made me this way and he did nothing to stop it!"

Her tone didn't waver, and her face was set like stone. Nothing implied that she was lying, so, once again, he was forced to consider what she said. Looking across at Kirijo, his look of shock, horror and disgust proved that not only was he ignorant of these "experiments" but that he believed Chidori about it. The others all looked confused, but many of them seemed worried, as if they knew that there was no way to disarm this solution, and didn't want to be the one who tried. Not that Shinji blamed them. Even he didn't want to be the one to settle this. But the responsibility fell to him regardless.

"Look, what happened to you is horrible, but killing him won't fix anything. And if you do, and you're wrong, then you will have just killed an innocent man, and someone who might just help you get back home. So save your judgment till later!"

Chidori glared at him for several seconds, before letting out an annoyed sigh and turning her back on the man she had just attacked. "If I find any reason to believe he condoned what happened to me, I will kill him."

That kind of promise was never a good thing, but unless he wanted to risk her escaping and trying to kill Kirijo anyway, he'd have to accept it for now. "... I won't stop you. But I can tell you that it won't make you feel better. At least think it through before you do it."

Silence hung in the air till Chidori gave a small nod, still not facing anyone in the room. "Fine."

With her agreeing to his condition, Shinji grabbed Kirijo's arm and helped him to his feet, the older man still shocked at what he had just learned. Kirijo only nodded when asked if he was okay, before accepting his new pistol from Masaru and sitting on a nearby stool. After a few minutes of awkward silence (Suring which Aki whispered what they were doing to Masaru), Shinjiro saw Gin approaching them, with a large sheet of paper under his arm. He seemed to notice the tense atmosphere, but walked in anyway. Everyone turned to look at him as he placed the paper down on a nearby table. Drawn on the paper was a very detailed and complicated schematic for a building, as seen from above.

"Since you agreed to help us, I figured I'd bring you a map of the Senior classrooms, as I remember them. Now, Mao and the rest of us will be heading through the main hallway, straight through the main Senior forces. Mao wants them to know it's him hurting them." As he spoke, he traced his finger up and down a certain part of the map. Once he finished, he pointed to a different section. "Now me and the others, think that while we're doing that, you guys should head this way, down a side path. Now provided they haven't completely redesigned the place since I was last there, you should find a magic symbol somewhere on the east wall of the building. This symbol helps keep the classrooms in the air. If you damage that, then they will be forced to land."

"What if the Seniors attack this place while we're gone?" Dai asked. Gin seemed to be worried about how to answer that. Probably because he didn't know how to answer that. Thankfully, someone else did.

"They teleport in to attack right? That means they have a Dimension Gate. I can disable it for about half an hour." Masaru said, while pointing to where he assumed the Gate to be. "But I'll need someone to stay and help me."

"I'll do it!" Aki said almost immediately. The others seemed to accept that and got back to the rest of the plan.

"Now, while you're going along the east wall, keep an eye out for room E161. That's a multi purpose room with a the Seniors keep there audio equipment. I'm willing to bet that that's where they take the Freshman who resist the initial mind control process. If you can get in there, you might just find some new allies."

Shinjiro nodded. "We'll keep an eye out for it. Anything else?"

With a solemn nod, Gin pointed to a room where the two paths he'd indicated before met. "This room is where we'll have the greatest chance of being ambushed by members of the Diez Gentlemen and any powerful allies they might have. We need to rendezvous there. And if they send a Diez Gentleman after us, then we're going to need to every man and woman we've got to win."

Shinjiro had to agree. He'd never met a Diez Gentleman (Except the rogue Gin), but from what he'd heard from the others about this 'Salvatore', they were all dangerous. Everyone gave one last nod, and Gin rolled up the map.

"The attack will begin in ten minutes, be by the Dimension Gate by then or we miss our chance." Without waiting for their response, Gin rushed off, no doubt to finish his own preparations. With him gone, everyone began dashing around to get every thing the needed. Everyone made sure they had all their weapons and the best armour they could get. They grabbed as many healing items as they could get their hands on, and stuffed them all into their bags, in case any were needed, which was a very likely outcome. As they did this, Shinji grabbed his tattered bulletproof vest and slipped it on under his jacket. He slung his axe across his back in case he could find a way to use it, before finally picking up his sword and strapping it to hip. Everyone was ready. The Seniors had launched their attack.

Now it was there turn.


	36. Side Chapter A1 – Balancing Force

**Side Chapter A1 – Balancing Force**

* * *

He didn't know long he'd been walking. After a while his concept of time had blurred, replaced with increasing breathlessness, mixed with a sharp pain in his chest. But he couldn't afford to stop yet. This pain was nothing compared to the wound his pride had taken.

He'd lost to Shinjiro.

He'd been useless against Damia.

He'd been humiliated by Ikutsuki.

And Salvatore annihilated him.

Agnus had suffered too much to let a few broken ribs stop him.

Still, he was starting to get annoyed. Not at the pain in his chest, but by the fact that he'd been walking for so long, yet still hadn't run into anything to fight. If he didn't fight, he couldn't get stronger, and if he didn't get stronger, he'd never be able to look at Shinji as an equal.

And there were other reasons he needed strength, but now wasn't the time to think about those. Right now, he needed absolute focus on his training. For a little while, he'd been forced to use his spear as a crutch to walk, but that time had thankfully passed, and he was now walking normally, albeit with one hand clutching his chest. His spear now rested across his back, with the handle positioned for a quick draw when he needed it.

Sadly, given that the last few halls he'd been through were completely abandoned, getting to use his weapon looked increasingly unlikely. Then again, he shouldn't have been surprised, given that he'd gone to one of the many unused wings of the school. Rumours said that a Dragon lived here, and that its eggs held the secret to opening your heart (A thought that made Agnus shudder), but rumours also said that Mao had recently been here, and come out fine. So either the rumours were a lie, or Mao had simply killed everything that once called this place home.

Either way, it pissed Agnus off to know he'd come here for nothing.

Letting out one final sigh, Agnus admitted that there was nothing here to fight, and turned to leave. He walked for a few minutes before hearing something coming from back the way he'd just come from. A scream.

' _Oh, come on! I was just down there!'_ He thought bitterly, convinced that the universe had waited till he was leaving to do this, just to increase the amount of walking he had to do. Part of him was tempted to leave, after all, it wasn't in a Demon's nature to help people. On the other hand, something had screamed and where there were screams, there was life, and where there was life, there were thing to beat the crap out of.

A short jog later, and he saw the source of the sound. Kneeling in a corner was a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, which were almost in tears from his situation, not that Agnus could get a good luck at them through his bangs. He wore a white robe covered in feathers, tied with a bright blue ribbon, and adorned with a yellow cross. Underneath the robe, Agnus could see a smaller robe, in the same shade of blue as his ribbon, and that his feet were covered in greaves. His gloved hands were clutching at a bow and arrow, but were shaking too much for him to possibly fire it.

He didn't look like he'd put up any sort of fight, which was probably why he was now surrounded by several dangerous looking Demons. There were at least five of them, four Cu Sith's and one Ronin, who appeared to be the leader. He was pointing his sword at the boy. "Time to come along kid. Seniors don't take no for an answer."

"I-I-I don't understand… Why are you doing this to me…?" The blonde boy forced out, still not able to raise his bow at his attacker. The Ronin smiled, in a way that made the temperature in the room drop a few degrees.

"Simple… Because we can." He raised his sword, ready to cut off any part of their target he felt they didn't need. Before he could bring it down though, he was startled to see one of his companions have a spear thrown through their head, impaling them to a nearby wall. All eyes turned, finally noticing the injured Demon in the doorway. Agnus wasn't intimidated by the four Seniors' glares, but it was starting to piss him off.

"I don't what you want the kid for, but you're not gonna get him." The Ronin sneered at this.

"Why? Cause you're here to protect him?"

"Nah. I couldn't care less about him. You're not gettin' him, cause I'm gonna kill you!" As he spoke, he cracked his knuckles and flexed his neck. His opponents laughed at his words.

"And how you gonna do that without your little stick?"

"Don't need it to kill scum like you." As if to prove that he was done talking, Agnus slipped into his fighting stance. With one last chuckle, the Ronin signalled for one of the Cu Sith to attack. It charged forwards, its horn ready to painfully remove a large portion of Agnus' digestive system. Still, Agnus stood his ground, waiting for his enemy to get closer.

With a simple turn of his body, Agnus easily dodged the attack, before grabbing the horn and, with all his strength, pulled it free of its owner's skull. The shock was too much, and the beast fainted. Agnus could really feel the adrenaline kick in now, as he felt his enemy's blood on his hands. He turned away from his fallen foe, just in time to see one of the other Cu Sith jump at him. Acting on instinct, he ducked down and stabbed the beast with its comrade's horn. As it jumped through the air, the horn tore through its body, spraying Agnus with blood. There was no way that one would survive.

The Ronin was really angry now. Apparently he didn't like looking like a fool, which was what Agnus was certainly doing a good job of doing. Without a word, he extended his open hand to the last Cu Sith. In a flash, the beast was gone, and the Ronin was now holding a sword in the shape of its horn. "Seems I misjudged you. If you're going to die, it's gonna have to be at my hand."

"Finally grow a pair, huh?" He chuckled before gesturing for his enemy to come closer. "Alright, let's do this!"

Without wasting time, the Ronin closed the gap, almost too fast for Agnus to see. There was no chance for him to block the attack, so he did his best to dodge it. Sadly, he didn't have enough time, and the blade cut a nasty gash into his shoulder. Still, if he hadn't moved when he did, it would have cut his heart in two, so he still got off lucky.

His enemy didn't give him enough time to recover, instantly attacking again. This time Agnus did a better job of avoiding it, as it only left a graze on his hip. This was small comfort however since his attacker refused to relent, continuing his savage assault. He was dodging the attacks now, but he was exhausted, injured and unarmed. Sooner or later, he was gonna slip up, and then it would be over.

Eventually, he ran out of space to dodge into, the swordsman forcing him into a corner. Desperately he raised his hand to try to block the next attack, and felt it sink deep into his palm. The pain was excruciating but he forced himself to hold on. As one hand held the blade, his other let out a series of punches to the man's ribs. The punches were fairly light on account of his shoulder damage, and the Senior didn't seem particularly bothered by them, but each one made him move back that little bit more, giving Agnus more of an opening to escape.

Finally, the gap was large enough, and he forced his way past the older Demon. Sadly, as he did, the Senior struck at the back of his leg, forcing him to the ground. "You put up a good fight kid. But it's time to die!"

' _No… I can't… die here…'_ Agnus thought to himself, desperately trying to force himself to his feet. But alas his pain and blood loss had finally gotten the best of him, and he could not find the strength.

"Say good bye!" Agnus slowly closed his eyes, as he waited for the inevitable to happen. But then something happened. His mind cleared, his pain vanished, and parts of him that went numb from lack of blood, felt rejuvenated. Snapping his eyes open, he could see the blonde boy the Seniors had been threatening casting some sort of healing spell on him.

Deciding not to complain about a free healing, Agnus decided to repay the boy, by springing to his feet, narrowly dodging the Seniors blade. In one fluid motion, he landed next to the boy, grabbed his spear, pulled it free, and turned in time to block another attack from the Senior. Tired of going on the defensive, Agnus grabbed the Senior by the back of the head, and slammed his forehead into the swordsman's nose.

Reeling back, the Ronin glared up at the young Demon with fire in his eyes. Agnus smiled, remembering when someone had used that very attack on him, and how it was just as effective now as it was then. But now wasn't the time for reminiscing. Now was the time to teach this Senior what Agnus Torii is capable of!

Lifting it over his head, Agnus threw his spear like it was a javelin. With his fast reflexes, the Ronin easily knocked it aside. But he'd been so busy doing that, that there was nothing he could do to stop what Agnus did next. Clenching his fist, the young Demon summoned all his anger and punched clean through the floor. The second he did, a pillar of fire engulfed the Senior, who screamed in agony as the flames burned his flesh.

A few seconds later, the fire faded, leaving the horribly burned Ronin to collapse onto the ground. With a sigh of relief, Agnus turned away from his enemy and towards the boy who was gazing at him with wide eyes. He was about to try and play it cool, saying he didn't need any help from him, when something darted past him. Before he could react, a sword shaped like a Cu Sith's horn pierced the unprepared boy's shoulder, pinning him to the wall.

Wheeling around, Agnus saw the man he'd just been fighting had forced himself up. Half his face had been burned off and his clothes were in cinders, but he still looked willing to fight. But there was no way he could win, not just because of how badly injured he was, but also because, for reasons even he didn't fully understand, seeing someone who tried to help him get hurt like this pissed Agnus off.

Yanking the blade free from the boy's shoulder, allowing him to slump to the floor and rest, Agnus raised his foe's weapon to the sky. He could feel all his anger taking form as the blade began to glow a bright red. But even that wasn't enough, as his rage burned so hot that the flame-like energy turned a bright green.

The Ronin tried to charge him, but it was far too late. Brining the blade down, Agnus cut him down the middle. His enemy stumbled slightly, still trying to attack him, however he didn't notice that Agnus' attack wasn't over. He realised what was happening just before a huge burst of fire descended from the sky, cutting through every floor of the old building before finally finding its target. It struck with enough power to send the Senior clean through the floor, and straight into an endless abyss. His screams slowly faded, as he got too far away for anyone to hear him.

His anger fading, Agnus tossed the sword down to meet its former wielder. He didn't know what that power he'd called on just then was, but there was no way it had failed to end his enemy's life. Looking back at the one he'd saved, he could see that he'd passed out from blood loss. Part of him was tempted to leave him here, but another part told him to help. And that part was annoyingly loud.

Sighing again, he approached the unconscious boy and looked at the wound. It seemed fairly deep, almost impressing him with how well that Senior had thrown the blade, considering how badly injured he was. Cursing the fact that he had no healing items, and had neglected to learn healing spells, he unwrapped the bandages he'd been previously wearing. He was thankful that the boy had healed his ribs as well as his cuts. He knew that reusing his bandages on the boy's injuries wasn't hygienic, and that he'd likely get yelled at by Matildo if she ever learned he did this, but it was all he could do right now.

Tying them as tight as he could, he was able to stop the bleeding, but it till needed proper care. Grudgingly, he realised that he'd have to go back to the nurse's to get it looked at. He could only hope that he wouldn't run into any of his former team there.

* * *

Carrying the boy over his shoulder had been surprisingly easy. He was light and skinny, so Agnus hadn't even needed to put much effort into it. Everything was going smoothly, till he heard the young healer groan. Slowly, the blonde boy awoke, somewhat surprised to see that he was being carried somewhere. "Hello…?"

"Oh… You're awake…" Agnus groaned, having hoped that he could get the kid to the nurse's without anyone realising it. Now he'd have to come up with some excuse for why he was helping him.

"Oh! Are you that man who came to save me? Thank you thank you thank you!"

"I wasn't helping you! I needed practise, and those guys were strong. You being there had nothing to do with it!" He could already feel a headache starting from this guy's fast talking. The young man's face fell a little, but he didn't let Agnus' harsh words affect his effort's to start a conversation.

"I'm Gabe. What's your name?" He said, trying to turn to get a look at his saviour's face. Given his angel, he could, at most, see the back of the red-haired Demon's head.

"None of your business. Don't assume that we're friends. I'm just gonna drop you off at the nurse's, and then you're not my problem anymore." It took him a second to realise that he shouldn't have said that, as now Gabe started getting even more emotional.

"Y-you're taking me to a nurse? You do care!" He yelled, practically crying with joy. Agnus' headache was growing and he could feel his anger from earlier returning.

"Shut up! I'm only doing this cause you helped me! After that, you can rot for all I care!" For a few, glorious seconds, his new 'friend' was silent.

"… I'm sorry." He heard, for once quietly. Over and over again, Gabe kept saying that, and from the tone of his voice, it sounded like he was crying a little. Feeling a little annoyed (and secretly a little guilty), Agnus stopped and put Gabe down against a wall, before sitting against it himself.

"Stop apologising. It's annoying." He said, turning his head away from the boy. He made sure to cut Gabe off before he could apologise again, before continuing. "I'm grateful that you healed me, and I'll repay that favour. But until I do, no talking. Okay?"

Gabe nodded his head, then seemed to realise something. Brining a hand to his hurt shoulder, he created flash of bright light. Once it faded, he unwrapped the bandages, revealing that his wound was completely gone. Agnus could feel his mind beating itself for not thinking to suggest that. "S-so… this means you don't owe me anymore? That you'll leave?"

Agnus took a look at the boy, who looked extremely sad. He thought about his options. On the one hand, he could abandon this annoying little kid and get back to his training, headache free. On the other hand, he'd almost died more than once over the last few days, so keeping a healer around might be a good idea. Or at least that's what he told himself.

"Tch. Alright! We'll stick together. But only cause, you're a good healer, understand?" He said, making sure that Gabe didn't get the wrong idea. With a huge smile, Gabe nodded and got to his feet. "… and, I guess you can talk."

"Thank you thank y-"

"You already said that. You don't need to repeat it." He was already starting to wonder if this was a good idea…

"So… If we're gonna be working together, shouldn't I know your name?"

"… Agnus."

"Nice to meet ya Agnus!"

"… Let's go. We don't have all day." The spear wielder claimed, walking away before Gabe could argue. The young healer quickly rushed after him. For better or for worse, Agnus had a new ally. He only hoped that he'd be useful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabe is property of Mossnose. Here is his character sheet:
> 
> Gabe  
> Voice: Jason Liebrecht  
> Title: Lost Angel  
> Weapon: Bow and Arrows  
> Skills: All Celestial Host and Archer skills in Disgaea 4, all Healing spells  
> I'll Help! (Gabe starts praying, healing a portion of his ally's health by sacrificing some of his own) Description: Don't worry about me... Range: 13 (affects one unit, can't be used on self)  
> Blast Shot (Gabe creates an arrow of light, which creates an explosion once it strikes its target) Description: It shouldn't blow up on me this time! Range: 5 (plus formation, hits any adjacent enemies to the targets)  
> Judge (Gabe starts chanting in Angelic and rises into the air, with Celestia's symbol appearing above his targets, before raining down a storm of light arrows) Description: Let justice be done! Range: 9 (square formation)  
> Appearance: Gabe has short blond hair in a bob cut and bright blue eyes, which are often hidden by his bangs. He wears the traditional white feathered robe of a Celestial Host, with a bright sky blue ribbon in front and a bright yellow cross. His underclothes are the same shade of sky blue, and his sleeves are a little shorter than normal, only reaching his elbows. He wears white gloves in order to maintain a better grip on his weapon, and his boots are armoured.  
> Description: Gabe is extremely shy, above all else. He apologizes a lot and cries if he gets yelled at. He always manages to find some way to blame himself for whenever bad things happen, and likes trying to help everyone he meets, even if it's detrimental to his own health. He's somewhat naive, as he is still young, and he is an avid supporter of Flonne's teachings of love and kindness, often babbling about the beauty of love without even noticing. But if he needs to fight, he's surprisingly competent and determined as long as he can keep his distance and fight with range. The most significant thing about him, however, is his lack of a sense of direction. Too many times he's gone looking for something and somehow ended up somewhere he shouldn't have. The Netherworld is no exception; in fact, he's famous because he's gotten lost their five times while trying to find a coffee machine. Even he doesn't know how his sense of direction can be so horrible, but if he sticks close to others and doesn't let them out of his sight, he won't lose his way.  
> Evility: Life Up (Boosts Max HP by 10% * number of allies on the field)


	37. Chapter 35 – Plan of Attack

**Chapter 35 – Plan of Attack**

* * *

The Senior classrooms were as extravagant as they were insane. Beautiful decorations lined every surface of the halls, and stairs stretched as far as the eye could see. But while it was very beautiful, no one would deny the fact that it openly defied several laws of physics. While people could argue that the floors resembling walls, and the walls resembling floors and ceilings could be an eccentric design choice, there was no explanation for the many fountains scattered throughout the area, each pouring water in any direction other than down.

It was through these mad halls that a group of Seniors strode through. They had been ordered to perform the initial attack on the Freshman area of the school, and their confidence and anticipation could practically be felt by anything they passed. Several of them bore maniacal grins as they walked, while others bragged about how many Sophomores they'd killed in the war. With a variety of weapons and skills, they were convinced that the Freshman were nothing more than insects to be twisted to their leaders will.

They slowly made their way to their Dimension Gate, a large red circle, surrounding an intricate pentagram of the same colour. As its bloody light began to shine onto their skin, it activated and two figures appeared. One of them was a trench coat wearing man, his eyes obscured by a pair of glasses, with a white cross over one of the lenses. The other wore a dirty looking poncho, and an equally unclean hat, which completed his gunslinger image.

Before the Seniors could react, both of them pulled out a pistol each and fired at them, the bullets from the first man's gun exploding upon impact. While their enemies were distracted, both of them dived behind pillars for covers.

"Looks like we got here just in time!" Juro yelled to Cross, before launching several more shots at the enemy, who were now advancing towards them. Cross didn't answer, but did respond by pressing a small button on his belt, resuming fire as soon as he had. After a few second of stalling the Seniors, the Dimension Gate activated again, this time bringing in four people. The first of them, Aki, wasted no time in rushing into the heart of the battle, spin kicking at least three Seniors before they even knew he'd arrived.

While he made a big show of taking on as many enemies as possible, Samantha had snuck away as soon as they had beamed in, moving just out of the enemies line of sight. Then, as soon as no one was looking, she snuck up on one of them, lifted him over her head, and threw him straight into his team, leaving them all open for the fireball that Gin and Beryl had been building up to collide with them. No one who was hit by the spell got up again, leaving everyone to conclude that they were either dead or unconscious.

While they had all been focussing on that, Aki, Juro and Cross had dealt with what was left of the team, and Cross grabbed a radio like device from his hip. "This is Cross, all clear."

Just a second after he'd given the ok, the remainder of both Shinji and Mao's teams teleported in. Wasting no time, they all gathered into a circle. More than a few of them looked quite confident, though a few looked nervous as well. Aki was one of the former. "These guys were easy!"

"They were the scouting party, they were never meant to be the strongest. Besides we caught them off guard. The others won't be so easy." Gin said solemnly. Before anyone else could speak, he continued. "The path to the north is the main hallway, that's where Mao's decided he's headed. Shinjiro, your group's gonna take that path east. Remember to head towards the main path once you've dealt with the anti-grav symbol."

"I got it. You don't have to keep reminding me." Shinji said, before signalling his team to gather around him. "Don't get yourself killed Gin."

The mage chuckled slightly, though his face remained grim. "Same to you."

Turning away from the one good Senior, Shinjiro's gaze fell on Masaru. "You're sure you can disable the Gate?"

Masaru gave a casual shrug. "Of course. Focus on your job for now. Me and Aki'll meet ya later."

With a final nod to the allies he was leaving behind, Shinjiro led what remained of his group down the east corridor, while Mao and his subordinates took the central path. Once both groups were gone, Masaru and Aki approached the Dimension Gate again. "Now be very careful Aki. We're dealing with pure energy here. We need to divert it, but not cut it off completely, otherwise we'll be stuck here to."

"Ummm, how do we do that?"

"Just follow my lead, and be careful. You'll be fine."

Aki nodded at his friends reassuring comment. "So, what do we do first?"

* * *

In a small chamber near the heart of the Senior classrooms, a man in black cloak with white hair and a man with blonde hair in a blue hoodie watched several monitors. One showed Shinjiro's group, a second showed Mao's, and the final one showed Masaru and Aki. Raiga smiled slightly as he watched. "Clever of them, trying to divert our attention."

"It won't be enough." The man in black answered.

"So… How do you wanna play this?" Raiga asked, spinning in the chair he was sitting in.

"Since you're clearly bored, I'll let you have your fun…" His ally answered. Before Raiga could get past him though, he stuck out his arm. "I also want to see first-hand what our new ally is capable of. Take her with you."

Raiga glared at him. "After what she did to my foot!?"

The white haired man's face never changed, but he took a step forward, showing just how much taller than Raiga he was. "Believe me Human, if you defy me, I will do infinitely worse to every fibre of your being."

There was no doubt in his voice, nor was there anger, joy, fear, or even confidence. To this man, his powers were fact, and that's what made Raiga back down. With a small nod, he walked past the taller man and out the door.

Only to come back a few seconds later. "Boss! She's gone!"

"…What?"

"The doors burst open and there's crystals everywhere!"

"Hmm, it would seem that she is harder to tame than I initially believed. No matter, she will still return to us. Let her have her fun for now."

Raiga scratched the back of his head at this, clearly not liking the idea that the girl who stabbed him was wandering around, and that they had no way of finding her. "If you say so… So what should I do?"

The white haired man turned his back on Raiga before answering. "Take the mad beast for a walk. He could use the exercise."

The blonde Human backed away slightly at this. "That… thing!?"

He would have continued, if his superior hadn't turned to stare at him. Even though the stare held no emotion, it was still threatening enough to make him comply. Without another word, he left to find his new travelling ally. With no one left in the room the man in black turned back to his monitors. "Well, it looks like I'm in for quite a show. Don't disappoint me."

* * *

The gold halls were a blur as a pink shape rushed down them, not caring for anything in her way. She had caught a glimpse of the monitors her new 'friends' were looking at, and had seen some interesting sights. The thought that someone had escaped her was infuriating, and she vowed that she would find the large axe wielder that she had fought not long ago.

But while she wished for vengeance against him for her earlier defeat at his hands, there was something else that had caught her attention, something which both looked like a lot of fun, and would give her some time to practise her skills before fighting him.

She had seen two men split off from Shinji's group, and wait in one of the biggest rooms in the entire Senior base.

She didn't know who they were, since they hadn't been travelling with him at the time she encountered him, so perhaps she could trick them into thinking she was innocent and score an easy victory. Then again, that wouldn't be very fun.

"Ah well. I'll decide when I find them~!" she said to no one as she got closer and closer to her destination. "But either way, I'm gonna take my time with them. After all, it's less fun if they die right away!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in a shadowy part of the Senior base, that even some of it's inhabitants had never seen, two figures appeared. They used no obvious Dimension Gate and there was no sgin that they had already been. It seemed as if the two had simply appeared from nowhere.

The two's appearance contrasted each other greatly. The first had white hair and a cloak of the same colour, while the other had black hair, and a similarly dark longcoat. The only things the two seemed to have in common, was that both of them had stoic expressions and were each carrying a katana.

"It would seem like the targets have gone their separate ways…" Ruroni said, examining a strange device. Terre let out an annoyed sigh at this.

"Can't they make anything easy for us?" The white haired man grinned at his allies comment.

"Afraid you can't keep up with them Terre?"

"No. It's just I have more important things to do. I'd rather we got this done quickly."

"… You're still looking?" Ruroni asked him. He got no answer other than his accomplice's silence. "I understand why you feel that this is your responsibility, but you don't have to do this alone."

An even deeper silence filled the room, as he waited for the man in black to answer. Eventually he did, but it was not the answer he wanted. "I'll follow Aragaki. I'm still curious about his beliefs. You can track Mao."

Ruroni knew that that was basically Terre's way of ending the conversation. He could have pressed further, but he knew that it would do him no good. Instead, he simply agreed to Terre's suggestion and wished him luck, before running into the corridors with unparalleled speed.

With Ruroni gone, Terre was left alone with his thoughts. Champloo had seen fit to deliver that message to him, so that must mean that he found something. But he wouldn't be able to ask his boss the details till after the mission was complete. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to wipe out the enemy fast."

With his thoughts cleared, he vanished, seeking to strike down as many Seniors as necessary to end this conflict. He'd waited years for these answers, and he would be damned if he was going to let these arrogant Demons' plans for conquest get in his way.

* * *

"I have finished examining the patient." Matildo said into a voice recorder while standing over a Demon resting in a bed. "All attempts to interact with the patient have failed. The patient's pupils neither expand or contract in reaction to light or darkness. All attempts to feed the patient have been unsuccessful. Patient shows no reaction to physical, visual or audio stimuli. There are no obvious signs of pain or illness. As far as I can tell, the patient's mind is still active, but has been robbed or its ability to control its own body."

"Uhhh…" The sound of her patient moaning reached her ears. Quickly, she was at his side, attempting to work out what he was saying. "… Fal… c…ing…"

It was no good. He didn't seem capable of saying complete words, let alone sentences. However, something about this situation was starting to sound familiar, something relating to an old report Champloo had given her for research. Looking through her bookshelf, she found the large tome she had hidden the notes in and began to read it.

_The syndrome is a peculiar one, robbing it's victims of all motor functions and ability to communicate. All emotions are taken from them and they are rendered only able to mutter occasional syllables. However, some cases have shown examples of full speech, and all speak of an unspecified event approaching. While further research is required, all signs indicate that this is not a natural phenomenon. Suspected interference of supernatural origins._

Everything listed in the book matched her mysterious patient. There was no doubt in her mind that what was documented in the report was the same as what she was examining. But of all the sentences in the report, it was the last one that shocked her the most. Given the author of this report, there were very few creatures that sentence could refer to, and one seemed more accurate than the other…

"Impossible… The barrier should keep them out…" She said to herself, fear and anxiety growing. "But if they've found a way through…"

She stopped herself before she could finish that thought. If they had found a way through, than this world was about to face something worse than the Seniors. If they truly were here, than the fighting hadn't even begun yet.


	38. Chapter 36 – Bloody Crystal

**Chapter 36 – Bloody Crystal**

* * *

According to Gin's map, Shinjiro was nowhere near the anti-grav symbol. Ordinarily, he'd have no reason to complain about long walks, but he couldn't help but wish that he was closer. Frankly, the tension in the air was almost crushing. Even from his position at the front, he could tell what the others were thinking, and more importantly, what they were feeling.

Not that he could blame most of them, after all they were currently in the enemy base, trying to take on an army that threatened to destroy their home and turn them into mindless servants. He could appreciate that they were a little nervous and a little jumpy. But that nervousness might just keep them alive. After all, if you're looking for enemies, they're less likely to get the drop on you.

No, it was the girl right behind him, and the man trailing at the back that bothered him the most. Ever since her outburst back at the main hall, he'd been sure to keep Chidori close to him, and far away from Kirijo. He knew that she'd been through a lot to get her Persona, and that the people who did it probably had connections to the Kirijo group, since he doubted that many people even knew about Personas, let alone try to force someone to summon one. Hell, maybe they were employees, maybe the previous head even authorised the project, he'd probably never know for sure. Still, he couldn't have her trying to kill the eye-patch wearing man, since he was too useful to die now.

And besides that, there was just something about the look in his one good eye after she tried to kill him that told Shinji that he knew nothing about it. It was like a look of shock, but also of sadness and of a tremendous guilt. He didn't know if anything he saw there was right, or if he was just making wild assumptions, but for now he decided to put his trust in the CEO.

But that still didn't solve the issue of Chidori's desire to choke, decapitate, stab or set fire to Kirijo, possibly one after the other. He doubted that he'd be able to calm all that hatred just by telling her about a hunch he had. Then again, he wasn't sure how he was going to resolve this situation without letting her kill him, or set up some way to have him save her life, which seemed both impractical, and would almost certainly backfire.

So it seemed that for now, he'd just have to endure their dispute and hope that it wouldn't get anyone other than their enemies killed. Part of him even hoped that some enemies would show up, just to make something happen to divert their attention from each other, and give her something she can vent her anger on.

So fate decided to be cruel, and he could only sigh at the surprising lack of enemies. " _Figures… They show up when you don't want 'em, then vanish when ya do…"_

This was going to be a long walk.

* * *

"Now we push this in and…" As soon as Masaru pushed a strange stone into the outer circle of the Dimension Gat, the entire thing became dull and colourless. Aki let out a sigh of relief that the thing hadn't released an unimaginable amount of cosmic energy into their faces, tearing their entire beings apart. "That should hold it for now. Let's meet up with the others."

Aki nodded enthusiastically at this and began jogging towards the east door, Masaru following at a slightly slower pace. They didn't get very far before they heard something, the sound of footsteps. They were getting louder too, and both could tell that whoever was making them was heading towards them at a fast pace. Not knowing if they were friend or foe, both men hid behind a nearby pillar, both ready to strike if necessary.

Eventually, something came charging out of the main hall, before tripping and landing in the middle of the room. The person, a girl it would seem, was clad entirely in pink with matching hair. She lowly sat up and began crying, out of fear it would seem, as she slowly edged towards the Dimension Gate.

The two men looked at each other, and slowly stepped out of the shadows, their presence being noticed immediately by the girl, who backed up in response. Aki raised his arms in a calming gesture, while Masaru remained still. "It's ok, we're not here to hurt you."

"Y-you're not?" She couldn't help but marvel at her own acting abilities, and the stupidity of the people in front of her were. They must have been part of Shinji's group to fall for the same trick as him. "I-it was so scary! These people were gonna hypnotise me and turn me into their slave and-"

"Yeah, whatever." A voice interrupted. Looking up in surprise, Ciel saw Masaru casually walking away without a second glance. No one had ever done that before. Evidently his ally was surprised, too, as he immediately called out to him.

"Wait, Masaru! We can't just leaver her like this!" He said, approaching Ciel as he did. "I mean look at her! She's scared to death!"

"Not my problem. We have to meet up with the others, not waste time with some girl." The nonchalant way he said that proved that he honestly didn't care about her as anything more than an annoyance. Ciel could feel her blood boiling at the thought, but kept her façade steady.

"Some girl? Don't you mean a really cute girl!? Look at her! You never just leave cute girls to fend for themselves!"

"Cute or not, she's more likely to get in the way if we help her. I say leave her here, and if you're so desperate to play hero, come back here when we win."

"That's not the-" Aki stopped himself, when he realised something. Pink clothes, pink hair, acts really scared… She couldn't be… "Masaru, didn't we here about something like this during briefing?"

Ciel swore she saw Masaru grin a little. "About time you figured it out."

" _Wait, figured what out?"_ She thought to herself, looking back and forth between the two men. Eventually, Aki turned back to her with a thoughtful look.

"Hmm, I kinda thought she'd be bigger…" He said out loud. Ciel was confused by the statement. Bigger? What did he mean by bigger?

" _Wait, he doesn't mean…?"_ As a certain thought of what he might have meant entered her head, her anger rose incredibly, as she brought her arms closer to her chest. She lowered her gaze to hide her anger, desperately trying to stay in character.

"It's always the way." Masaru continued, his smile now large and mocking. "You always think it's the big girls you've gotta worry about, but it looks like it's the… tiny ones that are the most dangerous."

Tiny. He'd put extra emphasis on this word. He'd noticed how she'd reacted and had a good guess what she was thinking. So it was a just a matter of picking words he knew would make her angry. Fortunately, Aki, who may not have known what the plan was, chimed in.

"Maybe, but big girls don't have the same charm as the smaller ones. The smaller a girl, the less threatening they seem. Makes ya wanna protect 'em, ya know what I mean?"

"Hmmm, I suppose you're right. But if you're too small, you might just get ignored. Useful if you're trying to be stealthy, but not for much else."

"I guess so, but girls that small stand out in their own way, since there are so few of 'em."

The two continued on like this, each comment making Ciel's anger grow. It might not have been so bad, if it wasn't so painfully clear that Masaru was outright trying to piss her off, in fact it seemed like he was having a lot of fun with it. But the longer the two talked, the more Aki brought it up, over and over again, and his attempts to make it sound like a good thing just made her angrier. Frankly the only reason she hadn't just impaled them both was because they were being incredibly vague. She still wasn't sure if they were talking about her height or her…

"But there's nothing to grab on to." Masaru commented. No matter what way she looked at it, that could only mean one thing.

"True I suppose, but if there's too much it just looks weird. I'd rather have just a little than too much." Aki chimed in. And as far as Ciel was concerned, her suspicions had been confirmed.

"You…" She finally said, shaking with anger, her eyes still not leaving the floor. Both men turned to look at her, all false joy fading from Masaru's face as he became deadly serious. "YOU BASTARDS!"

The two barely had time to react before crystals burst out from the ground at them. Aki sidestepped one aimed at his head, while Masaru dived past one aimed at his heart. Ciel was now glaring at both of them with an intense fury. She slowly rose to her feet as the crystals retracted back into the ground. While they did, the two men calmly walked up to each other, Masaru drawing his sword as he did.

"So, she really is her?" Aki said, cracking his knuckles, as he and Masaru stood back to back.

"Seems like it. Thanks for confirming your identity for us. I've never seen someone summon crystals before." The Ronin's words made her inwardly curse. She'd gone from laying a trap for them, to falling into theirs. While she got angrier, Masaru leaned closer to Aki. "Seems she's a bit sensitive about her… size."

"Good to know." Aki responded with a grin. He'd figured out what Masaru had been trying to do part way through their discussion, and had decided to play along. He'd meant every word of it, but he knew that Masaru wasn't being even slightly serious. Either way, they now had to deal with an angry, crystal summoning girl. As his face became a serious one, he once again spoke to his friend. "Think Shinji'll reward us if we bring him the girl who cut off his arm?"

"We won't know till we do."

Ciel's anger finally took the better of her now and she launched a huge spike at them, ready to end this in a single strike. Naturally, she was surprised when both men ran in opposite directions, dodging the spike entirely. Ordinarily she wouldn't have considered this a problem, but the room was large enough that if they continued at their current pace, it would become impossible to keep track of both of them at once.

Annoyed that she had to take her eyes off of one of them, she decided to focus on Masaru, deeming him a higher threat on account of his possession of a weapon. Having learned from certain mistakes she made in her previous battle, she sent three spikes at him, one from the front and one on either side of him. Against a normal enemy, this would have been enough, but years of training had given Masaru fast reflexes, and he jumped over them just before they struck him, landing perfectly unharmed.

She would have launched another attack then, if a fist hadn't collided with her lower back, sending her flying in the direction of the man she had just tried to kill. Seeing her coming towards him, Masaru shifted his body and prepared to strike his defenceless foe. Just as he swung his sword at her though, another crystal shot out of the ground to block his attack. Quickly realising that he didn't have time to swing the sword again, he released his grip on it, freeing his hands to grab the passing Ciel and throw her back towards Aki.

Ciel would have responded with another crystal spike, but Masaru's throw had been at just the right angle for to prevent her from seeing where she was going, leaving her completely helpless against the roundhouse kick to the side of her head when she finally reached Aki. Naturally, the force of the kick served to send her flying even further, colliding with a faraway wall, with enough force to send crack along most of it.

For several seconds she remained perfectly still, showing no signs that she was still conscious.. Still, the two warriors knew better than to let their guard down. Both slowly approached, Masaru picking up his discarded sword as he did. When they were about half way there, Ciel finally moved, slamming her fist into the wall in rage. More cracks appeared, showing strength that her lithe form hid well.

Each of her attackers took a step back at the sight, figuring it was best to be patient right now and wait for her to act. As Ciel slowly pulled herself free of the stone she had been embedded in, a string of crystals emerged from just in front of her, taking the shape of a whip. Without a word she took it, her glare having intensified a hundred fold since the battle had begun. Approaching slowly, she cracked the whip at her enemies feet with every step she took, making them move back a little more each time. They didn't know what those crystals were, but Masaru's sword hadn't even scratched them, so they doubted they would break so easily.

They couldn't keep this up and they knew it. Either they'd run out of space to back into, or Ciel would grow tired of this and launch a more serious assault. The current situation called for… drastic action.

" _This is gonna hurt…"_ Masaru thought to himself, thinking of only one solution that didn't involve one of them being decapitated… hopefully. With a deep sigh, he took a step forward and pushed his sword downwards, right into the path of the whip. The whip struck it and most of it stopped in its path. This, unfortunately, did not include the very end of the whip, which cracked around, and embedded itself into the back of his leg. Regardless though, the whip was stopped, leaving Ciel completely open to attack.

Aki took the chance immediately, running straight at the girl. She barely dodged as he took another swing at her head. He left a large opening after his attack, more than enough time to send a spike into his chest and kill him. Or at least it would have been if she hadn't been interrupted by a sword being thrown right in front of her face. The sudden sight of steel flying just an inch from her nose was startling, so much so that she let go of the whip and momentarily forgot about Aki. That was soon remedied, when his foot collided with her ribcage, knocking her into the limping Ronin's sword, which cut right down her back.

She landed behind them with a trail of blood between her and her attackers. She could feel their gazes on her as her blood began to pool around her. _"Am I… going to die here…?"_

As her vision wavered, images crossed her mind, those of those men who wanted her help, those of the last man to defeat her and of a young man with dark hair and violet eyes. His face sickened her. His smile sickened her. The idea that he was still alive sickened her. And that disgust turned into anger, an anger so great that her body would refuse to die as long as that hatred flowed through her veins.

Crystals crawled up her body, forming a protective layer along her back, keeping her blood inside her body. As soon as it had finished forming, she forced herself upright, staggering slightly as she did. "Can't… die… here…"

As she spoke, hundreds of spikes emerged from the ground with no rhyme or reason. Several of them almost struck the two warriors, but they were just able to dodge them. Then, once all the spikes had emerged, nine crystal swords emerged from the ground, seven of them floating around her while she held the other two in her hands.

At the sight of the girl's weaponry, Aki leaned towards Masaru. "You think you can block that many?"

Masaru shook his head. "Even if my leg wasn't hurt, there's no way I could block nine of them, especially in this environment."

The crystals did serious hinder mobility, and nine blades was a bit much for them to try to take on by themselves. The two both knew what their only option was and silently agreed to execute it. At the same time, both of them ran in different directions, Masaru running east, while Aki ran west. Since he was closer Ciel decided to attack Aki first, throwing three swords at him, one at his head which he ducked under, one at his feet which he narrowly jumped over, and one just in front of him, which only a sudden stop prevented him from being struck by.

Sadly, him stopping was what Ciel was counting on, as she lunged at him, the four blades she controlled with her mind automatically trying to impale him from several different angles. He lept back to avoid them, landing on his back just as they struck. Before he could get to his feet however, Ciel drove the swords in her hands into the shoulders of his jacket, purposefully missing his flesh. As he squirmed, two more blades stabbed into his jeans in a similar way, pinning him, but not actually injuring him. "Now stay still! And watch as I rip your friends head off!"

As soon as the girl was done roaring into Aki's face, she turned to find the Ronin. Much to her surprise though, he was nowhere to be seen. She looked around rapidly, worrying that he'd try to sneak attack her from behind one of her own crystals.

What she didn't know, was that Masaru wasn't even in the room anymore. While she hadn't been looking, he'd limped his way into the east hallway and was currently on his way to find Shinji and the others. He cursed at his injured leg for slowing him down. "Have to get there! Before she hurts Aki!"

Meanwhile, Aki had noticed that Ciel was no longer paying attention to him, her search for Masaru calling for all her focus. While she did so, he slowly slipped his arms out of his sleeves, removing his jacket in the process. Once his arms were free, he pulled the swords trapping his legs free. The noise alerted Ciel to what he was doing, but by the time she'd reacted, he'd gotten to his feet, and was trying to slice her apart with her own swords. His movements were very graceful, mixing his martial arts into his attacks, as if the swords were nothing more than an extension of his fists. Ciel was having a hard time dodging them, and kept having to hide behind her own crystal spikes.

Eventually, she was able to summon two of her previously thrown swords back to her, and began using them to block his swings. The way the two moved was almost like a dance of crystals, blood and hatred. Each action one performed, was perfectly balanced by the others reaction. Aki was almost impressed with how well she was doing in spite of her slim figure and blood loss. _"Cute and a skilled fighter? If she wasn't trying to kill me I'd probably ask her out!"_

However, now wasn't the time for jokes. Now was the time for the next part of the wordless plan that he and Masaru had made. For what Ciel hadn't noticed, was that he'd been slowly leading her closer and closer to the east door. Finally, he reached the door that his distraction had helped his friend reach. Now it was his time to run down it and hope like Hell that she couldn't run as fast as him.

She was caught off guard by his sudden attempt at running, but she reacted quickly. He was slightly faster than her, which did give him a noticeable lead over her, but he couldn't take any chances right now, especially when the first crystal spike appeared in his path threatening to skewer him if he didn't make a hasty sidestep. Hundreds more followed suit, obscuring the path in front of him, but still leaving him enough space to keep running. It was difficult to manoeuvre around all of them, while Ciel did so like it was nothing. Slowly but surely, she was closing the gap between them.

" _Gotta keep running! Just a little more! Just a little more!"_ He chanted in his head, almost like a prayer, hoping that the others would be just around the next corner. And apparently, someone was listening to his prayers, as a bullet zoomed past his head and collided straight into Ciel's shoulder, forcing her to stop for several valuable seconds.

With the new lead he'd gained Aki slid up to the others, throwing a silent thanks at Juro, who nodded in response. They all knew that that wasn't enough to stop Ciel, and that she was getting closer. When they finally saw her emerge from the forest of crystals she had created, she leaped at them, blades ready to turn them cut apart the first thing she came into contact with.

The sound of crystal meeting metal ran through the air as her blades stopped. "Sorry. But this is a little tougher than my old one!"

That voice, that face. It was Shinjiro. He'd blocked the attack with his metal arm, the new plate Mao installed absorbing the attack, leaving the vitals of the arm undamaged. The sight of him alive made a chill run down Ciel's spine, not out of fear or rage, but out of unbridled joy. To come face to face with the one man who'd beaten her in single combat, the one person who'd escaped her, was a blessing for her. She couldn't help but laugh. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You're here! I was hoping I'd see you again! Now I can kill you for real!"

"Shinji!" Aki yelled, before throwing one of the crystal swords he'd taken towards his leader. Seeing it coming his way, Shinji dropped his short sword and grabbed it, swinging it at Ciel as soon as he did. She dodged it by jumping back several feet, pulling her own blades out of his arm in the process. The blade was lighter than he expected, barely weighing more than the sword he dropped, despite being nearly twice as big. But he wasn't going to complain about a bigger, stronger sword to use.

Without losing her psychotic grin, Ciel charged at him, her blades craping along the ground as she ran. Gunshots fired by Juro and Kirijo went past her, but failed to hit. Every time someone came close to try and stop her advance, she deflected their attacks and knocked them back. Nothing was going to get in between her and hey prey. The best any of them were able to do was Dai, who forced one of her blades from her, before an alarmingly strong punch to the jaw sent him to the floor.

Finally, she and Shinji locked blades, each swinging at just the right time to block each other's' attacks. Ciel was slightly faster, but her injuries and her anger made her moves sloppy and easy to predict. Still, every strike was harder to block than the last. If he still had his right arm, then this wouldn't have been as big of a problem, but he was still adapting to prioritising the left side of his body.

Inevitably, something went wrong. With a powerful downward swing, Ciel struck at his blade with enough force to split it in two, the larger half tragically not being connected to the handle. He was able to block the next attack with what was left of the sword, but that cost him the rest of the blade. Now he had no weapon, his duel taking him far away from his initial weapon, and a wall behind him hurt his chances of reaching a new one.

Seeing him cornered, Aki charged at Ciel, only to run straight into a crystal wall, one that surrounded her and Shinjiro. Now that she finally had him cornered, she wasn't going to let anyone get in her way. Shinji was out of options, he had no weapon and she'd take his head off before he could hope to summon Castor, or let the Persona use his body like last time. The only option that seemed available to him was to hope that one of the others could break the wall before she struck.

And someone did, just not someone he was expecting. Lines appeared in a hundred places along the crystal wall and before anyone could realise what had happened, the entire thing exploded into a million tiny fragments and something appeared in between the path of her sword and its target.

A black katana, held by a man in a black longcoat.

"Who the Hell are you!?" Ciel snarled at the man in front of her. While still blocking her attack, he looked over his shoulder at Shinji, a look of disappointment on his face.

"Really Aragaki? All that talk and you still need me to save you… I'm disappointed. And after I went out of my way to clear your path for you too." Terre said casually, seemingly unfazed by the pink haired girls attack. Shinji would have yelled at him for that, but frankly, he was too glad that his head was still connected to the rest of him. Slowly Terre turned back to his new opponent. Ciel attacked him several times, but he blocked them with ease, his sword chipping away at the crystal each time the two met.

Her forgotten anger was stirring again inside Ciel. Something about this man bothered her, aside from the fact that he was blocking all of her attacks like they were nothing. It was hard to tell at first, but then she realised why his very presence infuriated her. And that realisation came the moment she saw his one exposed eye.

That eye… She'd recognise it anywhere. It was the one thing that angered her more than anything. Everything Aki and Masaru had said to her earlier, the fact that Shinji was still alive, nothing compared to the sight of that eye.

"YOU!" She screamed, swinging her blade hard enough to break it against his. She didn't miss a beat before she began to summon spikes at him, his sword barely deflecting them, forcing him back further and further. "YOU ABANDONED ME! YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!"

Terre was getting nervous at the assault. It was erratic and fast, leaving him no time to think and barely any time to react. But her words were what bothered him the most. He abandoned her? When? He'd never seen this girl before in his life. How had he left her to die?

And then he realised who she was, or rather, who she had once been.

"No… It can't be!" He yelled, more to himself than to anyone else. His shock had made him sloppy and several crystals grazed him, one striking at his leg, forcing him to his knees. The assault didn't stop, each spike hurting him a little more, while their random angles made it impossible for anyone to get close enough to help him.

His mind was too shocked to do anything other than block and pray that his hunch about her was wrong. He was completely unprepared for the two spikes that trapped his sword arm, leaving him completely open. More spikes appeared to hold him in place as Ciel stopped in front of him, her glare showing a level of hatred that most wouldn't believe was possible. As he lay there defenceless, she wrapped her fingers around his neck and began to squeeze as hard as she could. She wanted to feel his life fade from his body. She wanted to kill him with her own bare hands.

His vision blurred as his lungs were robbed of precious air. Was her face, so filled with hatred, going to be the last thing he saw?

No… Even though he could not bring himself to hurt her, he had made a promise, and he refused to die until it was fulfilled. Calling up the last of his strength, he teleported out of her grip, arriving just a few feet away from where he had just been. Ciel's surprise at his sudden disappearance, gave him time to savour the sweet return of oxygen into his body.

The two turned to look at each other at the same time, her face still showing an unbridled fury, while his showed a nostalgic sadness. A second after their eyes met, he spoke in a quiet, despair filled voice. "I'm sorry. But I can't die yet."

With his words said, he began to teleport away. His injuries meant that he could only afford small jumps right now, enough to keep his distance from her, but also enough that she could still see him after each one.

This would have been the moment where Shinjiro and his group expected her to attack again, and each of them took a combat stance in response. However, it was clear that now that she'd seen Terre, she'd completely forgotten that they were even there. Without glancing at any of them even once, she ran after Terre, desperate to catch him. Eventually, she faded from sight, and the group let out a collective sigh of relief that she was gone.

Everyone agreed that it was perfectly within their rights to take a few minutes to check all their equipment and rest until the tension of the battle had left them. Looking around, Shinji could see Samantha wrapping some bandages around Masaru's bleeding leg, while Aki looked around for something to substitute for his abandoned shirt, finding nothing. The others were checking that they hadn't dropped anything, with the exception of Juro, who stood just outside the corridor that Ciel and Terre had run down, keeping an eye out in case that psychopath came back.

He also noticed that the crystals that Ciel had formed were starting to break down, as if the presence of their master was required for them to exist. Not that he wasn't thankful, since their current positioning would make it hard to continue onwards. In just a few minutes they'd-

" _ **Abandoned her…"**_ A voice rang out from all around them. Every one began looking around at the sound of it, but there was no obvious source of the noise. _**"He abandoned her… He's just like you…"**_

Something about the voice was familiar, yet terrible, as if something was twisting it into a monstrous version of itself. It was so distorted in fact, that at first none of them could even tell who's voice it was.

" _ **You left her to fight your war… How cowardly!"**_ Finally, the source of the voice showed itself, emerging from the shadows. All eyes that landed on it widened at the sight.

Emerging from the darkness was a man in a grey suit, with short, dark hair that was beginning to turn grey. He had a gun in his hand and his clothes were covered in blood. And on his face rested a plain black eye patch, right next to a glowing golden eye.

" _ **But don't worry… I'll end your guilt. As well as everything else."**_


	39. Chapter 37 – In the Shadow of the King

**Chapter 37 – In the Shadow of the King**

* * *

No one spoke as the figure walked towards them. Though his face was familiar, his body radiated a sinister aura. Just being around him made them all uncomfortable, yet they could not bring themselves to move, either to escape or to attack. They merely watched and listened as it got closer and closer.

But none where more shocked than Kirijo. Standing before him was his own face, covered in blood and with a maniacal grin. He felt trapped, its golden eye keeping him in place with its gaze. He felt so constricted that he wondered if he was even still breathing, and if his heart still beat within his chest.

" _ **I can understand why you are afraid. I would be too if I saw this face. The face of a man who'd send his daughter to fight his war for him."**_ The doppelganger said, his voice cruel and mocking. The words made Kirijo flinch, and his gaze intensified.

"What did you say?"

" _ **Oh? Did I hit a nerve? Good! You deserve to be punished for what you have done."**_ It sneered, turning to its left, so the original was in its blind spot. Regardless, he kept speaking, holding his hands out in front of him for effect. _**"You did not stop your father from casting the world into darkness. You turned your blind eye to the sins your company committed to the innocent, justifying it as a necessary evil. You threw your own daughter into a war with evil itself, and then waited on the side lines… There is so much blood on your hands."**_

"No! I didn't want to! I wanted to protect her-!"

" _ **But you did not!"**_ The beast interrupted, turning to face Kirijo once more. _**"You knew how loyal she was to you, and you used that for your own ends. She was not a daughter to you. She was just a pawn!"**_

"SHUT UP!" Kirijo roared at the golden eyed duplicate. It was the first time any of his allies saw him truly enraged, and his pained yell was enough to make them shake off the shock at seeing the second suited man, and they readied their weapons. Aki made a move to attack, but he was till exhausted from his fight with Ciel, making his punch far too easy to dodge. After the fist flew by its face, the mimic pulled out a pistol and, without even looking, fired three shots into Aki's leg. The sudden damage sent the fighter to the ground and his attacker stepped over his collapsed form.

" _ **But I am right. You forced her to fight monsters as a child. And as soon as she had the potential, you sent her off to fix your sins. When was the last time you spoke to her? Not about Shadows. Not about the Dark Hour. Just as a father to his daughter?"**_

Only silence followed. Kirijo had no answer, other than to start shaking, in a mix of anger, fear, and self-hatred.

" _ **Ah ha ha ha ha! This is too beautiful! You took the sins of your father onto your shoulders, and then cast them onto your daughter when they proved too heavy. And in your efforts to fix his sins, you have commit so many of your own. Your hands will never be clean! And they do not deserve to be! One so blood soaked as you, has no right to be a father!"**_

"S-stop… I'm not… That's not…" At that moment, the usually cold and intimidating head of the Kirijo group, looked so small and fragile, like an ice sculptor on the verge of breaking. Clutching his head, he sank to his knees. "Why…? Why are you doing this…? What are you!?"

" _ **Is it not obvious? I am your sin. I am what you truly are. I am the Shadow in your heart. I. AM. YOU!"**_

Those words caused all self-control in Kirijo to snap as he looked up at the impersonator, rising back to full height. "No… I refuse to believe that! You are not me!"

For a moment, the so called Shadow stood perfectly still, even its eyes unmoving. Then, its lips began to tug upwards, forming a sadistic, psychotic smile that looked as if it would split its face in two if it continued much further. Darkness began to gather around it as it threw its head back and laughed so loud and with so much insane joy in it that you could practically feel the air vibrate with every sound. Kirijo found his vision blurring as he gazed at it, before he was sent back to his knees.

" _ **That is correct! I am not you! Not anymore! Now… I am me!"**_ It yelled once more, before the darkness swallowed it completely. A second later, the darkness was cast aside, passing over all in the room as it was. In the Shadows place was a giant metal monster. Its shape resembled that of a skeleton, albeit without its legs. Its face was obscured by a helmet, a crown on its head and blood pouring from the visor. In place of its right hand, there sat what looked like either a sword or an impressively large spear head. In contrast, its left hand still took its normal shape, but its finger tips were razor sharp. But the most noticeable trait was that in place of its chest, was an iron maiden, only with the outer shell removed, so all could witness, what was inside; a skinless man, impaled on the spikes, but still very much alive, and gazing at them the whole time.

As soon as it had formed, it sank its left hand into a nearby wall and lifted itself out of reach. As it looked down on them, the skinless man began to speak. _**"I am a Shadow, the true self! It is my way to control all. My existence is all that matters!"**_

Shinji couldn't believe what he was seeing. How could a Shadow be here? How could one take human form like this one had? And how did it know so much about who it was mimicking? While he felt that he needed answers to these questions, he knew that now wasn't the time to ask them. Instead he readied his sword and yelled to his teammates. "Dai, grab Aki and get him out of the way! Masaru, stay with Kirijo! Keep him safe! Everyone else, take that thing down as fast as you can!"

" _ **You will fail."**_ The Shadow said to him as black goo poured out of its chest and onto the ground. Slowly it took the shape of several knights in blood soaked armour, each wearing an orange mask with IV inscribed on their foreheads. Each carried a different weapon, ranging from one handed swords to bows. When all finished forming, they formed a defensive line in front of their master. _**"For I am in control. Now and forever."**_

No one spoke, instead they simply charged at the line of enemies before them, as Shinjiro summoned Castor. He knew he needed Castor for this fight, and that he couldn't waste time on the small enemies. If he was right, even if they killed the knights, the leader would just summon more. He had to bring that thing down fast as possible.

As they charged at them, several of the knights pulled out bows and began firing large steel arrows at them. Most of them missed or were dodged. Dai took one to his shoulder, but didn't slow down, while Samantha caught several of them and threw them back, one of them hitting the one who originally fired it in the eye. It recoiled, but refused to die and continued firing. Eventually they reached their target, each member clashing with a knight of the same weapon, while Dai grabbed his injured ally and pulled him out of the line of fire.

While they attacked the line of armoured Shadows, Shinjiro used the distraction to send Castor at their real target. With a strong tackle, the Persona knocked the Shadow back to the ground. It slid for a few feet, before balancing itself and turning to face the masked being. It countered with a swing of its right arm, cutting into Castor's side and trapping him between it and the wall. The pain that Castor felt was shared with his wielder, and it was intense. Regardless, he overcame it just as Castor forced the blade from his side and charged again.

While the Persona and Shadow clashed, Shinjiro forced his way past the knights, decapitating one with his sword as he did, and ran to aid his other self. He wasn't the only one who charged into the fray either. Saiduq also vaulted over the line, kicking one of them into the line of Juro's fire as he did, and Mei blasted three of them with orbs of white energy, creating a suitable path for her to reach their leader.

Shinji reached it first and, as it swung to hit Castor, he jumped towards the beasts chest. By the time it realised he was there, he'd already sunk his sword into the man at its core, sending it reeling in pain. Unfortunately, when it did so, it pulled back with such force that Shinji's grip on his sword was lost, and it remained imbedded in the creature's chest. On the other hand, this left Castor free to ram it, his horse's horn being planted right next to the trapped sword. Using this as leverage, it lifted the Shadow over its head and slammed it head first into the ground behind it.

As soon as it landed, Shinji, Saiduq and Mei jumped at it, knowing that this was their best chance to do some serious damage. Shinji landed on the creature's chest, pulling his sword from where it lay at the same time as he created a fist shape dented in its cage like chest. Saiduq meanwhile attacked from the right, but his attacks left no noticeable damage. To him this made no sense, after all he was attacking the same target as his leader, and he had the strength of a Demon to aid him, so why wasn't he being as effective?

On the other hand, Mei had perched herself on its head and was currently stabbing into its visor with a somewhat worrying ferocity. What's more, unlike Saiduq's attacks, these were clearly affecting it, as proven when its hand swatted her away quite fiercely. In spite of the immense force used to send her flying, she landed perfectly on her feet, turning to glare at the Shadow when she landed. If any had seen how furious her glare was, they would have been worried, but all were too focussed on their own tasks to notice, instead only seeing her charge the opponent once more.

Throughout all this chaos though, one figure remained perfectly in place, not due to orders or out of injury, but because of emotional conflict. Even though her eyes focussed on the battle, her mind was still captured by what the Shadow had said. It had confirmed everything she had suspected about Kirijo, that he knew what happened to her, but tried to hide it from even himself. It ranted about how he was incapable of loving even his own family. And it had laughed at the idea of redemption. She had all the reasons she could think of to kill this man for what he had done, and what he had allowed to be done by others.

So why, when the axe she had been given for this war was in her hands, could she not even take a step towards him? She couldn't understand it. She had tried to kill him the second she saw him before, so what was stopping her?

Slowly she worked up the nerve to approach him, stopping a few steps away. Anticipating that she sought to attack the unconscious man, Masaru extended his sword in front of her. "I was told to protect him. That includes from you."

She gave no answer. She just starred at the one eyed man. His face showed such pain, but not pain of body. The pain he felt was in his mind, his heart and his soul. His guilt was obvious, for it was eating away at all that he was.

Several feet away, the Shadow had forced itself upright, knocking all of its attackers back as it spun several times. Once it stopped it jumped upwards and sank its hands into the same wall it had before. _**"It would appear I underestimated you. Very well. Now you will know true pain!"**_

As it spoke, something about the air changed. Ice and frost began to form around the area, yet strangely, the temperature remained the same. As the people in the room noticed the change, two pillars of ice began to grow out of the ground, before meeting just beneath the Shadows chest. Once the two finished connecting, they began to encase the metal monsters chest, completely engulfing the false man inside. With the ice completely attached, Shadow Kirijo let go of the wall, the ice supporting it and bending like impromptu legs.

This made things more complicated. The ice wasn't technically a part of its body, so it wouldn't feel any pain if they attacked it. Also, given the height of these new legs it had formed, it would be difficult to reach its main body. If they had any fire they could melt it, but the only people they knew with access to any kind of fire magic were in the other group with Mao. Long range weapons might work, but only Juro and Kirijo had access to those, and one of them was unconscious.

Deciding to take a chance, Saiduq attacked the closest of the legs, knocking off a large chunk of it. This victory was short lived, when it almost immediately grew more ice to fill the hole. "Oh come one!"

He didn't get the chance to attack again, since the Shadow decided to test its ice legs by kicking him clean across the room. As it did, it glanced at its summoned Shadows. Less than half of them remained, and their opponents were rushing to join their allies. _**"Unacceptable."**_

More black goo poured from its form and pooled around it. More knights emerged from it, these ones even larger than the last, carrying spiked shields. The team mentally cursed at this development, several of them still aching from the wounds the last wave inflicted upon them. Nonetheless, they readied themselves for the battle, as the lead Shadow attempted to hold back a charging Castor.

As this happened, a single eye opened, its vision blurry as it tried to focus itself. It saw the battle taking part before it, and widened in response. Kirijo tried to lean forwards, but his strength was still missing and he fell backwards. "This is… my fault…"

"So you admit it…" If she hadn't spoken, he wouldn't have noticed Chidori was even standing there. As soon as he did, he looked away in shame. "I should kill you for what you did."

"… And I wouldn't stop you." He said solemnly. "Hopefully if I die, that monster will die with me…"

"…" Despite her words, the longer she stood there, the less she wanted to attack him. She could see that he honestly believed what that doppelganger had said and was willing to face the consequences for it. But something about that didn't feel right…

Eventually though, she reached her decision. She turned her back to him and began to walk towards the beast. In surprise, he looked up at her. "What are you doing!? Kill me and end that beast!"

She glanced back at him, her gaze cold but not anger filled like it had been before. "I don't intend on letting you take the easy way out. I want you to pay for your sins. And how can you do that when you're dead?"

It was clear to him what she was saying, and as it sunk in he could only lower his head once more. If he wanted to make amends, he had to survive. She was going to punish him by making him live and face what he had done.

"The ultimate suffering… How fitting…" He whispered to himself, as Chidori's pace increased to a run.

In the battle, things were taking a turn for the worse. The Shadow had struck the perch that Juro was resting on, sending him toppling to the ground, and he was now trying to dodge the attacks of a broadsword wielding knight. Dai had re-joined the battle, only to find himself being crushed under the beasts right foot. He was desperately trying to hold it back, but the longer he was there, the greater the weight became. Mei had launched herself off of a wall and was gripping onto its shoulder, but it was swinging around so much, attempting to throw her off, that she didn't have a chance to attack back.

Everyone else was being distracted by the knights, several of them even pilling on top of Castor to keep him in place. This combined with the fact that Shadow Kirijo was launching icicles from his spear shaped hand, meant that none of them could even get close to him.

" _ **I told you that you would fail. Kneel before me now, and I will give you a quick death."**_ It gloated. Naturally, none did what he said, and continued fighting. It didn't matter anyway as far as he was concerned, either way, they'd fall eventually.

He was so focussed on them though, that he hadn't noticed the new combatant appear until she had sunk her axe into one of his legs. Looking down in confusion, he saw Chidori repeatedly chipping at the leg with her weapon to no avail. He chuckled at the sight.

" _ **Do you have any idea how pathetic you look?"**_

She ignored his question and kept attacking. All the while, she imagined all the things she had wished to do to the real Kirijo, and the ferocity of her attacks increased. The Shadow continued to gaze at her in amusement, only breaking his gaze every so often to keep Mei from climbing into a suitable attacking position.

But to his surprise, she never grew tired. If anything she was getting more energetic and dangerous. All the hatred in her was pouring into her attacks as she remembered all the years she had lost because of the Kirijo group, all the suffering she had endured at their hands. The pain of needing those pills to survive, and the fear that she will die if she doesn't get more. And finally, she poured out the sorrow she felt on the last day of her mortal life, and the image of the only person who truly cared for her lying cold upon the ground.

That memory burned the most.

It awakened something inside her, something that all could see. For when she swung her axe again, her hands had ignited and the flames had travelled straight to the blade. It did not burn her, but its heat dissolved the ice faster than it could regenerate. The Shadow recoiled before she could attack again, inadvertently freeing Dai from under his other foot.

" _ **How!? How did you…!?"**_ It roared, angry for the first time in the entire fight. Ultimately, it decided that the answer wasn't important. All that mattered was killing her quickly so her fire couldn't be used anymore. Pulling back, he prepared to swing down at her with his right arm.

It would have killed her, if it hadn't been interrupted. Just before it could strike, Saiduq had made his way back to the fight and had caught the giant spear with his hands. He was bleeding badly as a result and he was having to put all his effort into keeping the blade still, but he stopped it. He could barely move from the effort, but he was able to squeeze out one word to his ally. "GO!"

She didn't hesitate to follow his order and charged at her enemy again. In response he tried to lift his spear to strike again, only to find it weighed down before he could. While he was focussed on Chidori, Dai had dived onto his arm and was weighing it down, Saiduq soon joining in. Scoffing at this sight, he changed tactics and tried to squash her with his left hand instead.

He missed when something suddenly stabbed into his visor, the pain forcing his hand off its intended path. He had forgotten completely about Mei, who had climbed all the way up his shoulder and was now repeatedly stabbing him while holding onto the side of his helmet for support.

" _ **No! NO! Get away from me!"**_ It screamed, partly out of anger, and partly out of fear. He knew that he could focus either on Chidori's fire or Mei's relentless assault, but not both. No matter what he picked, he would be caught by the other and be in danger as a result. He was so torn between which to attack, that he failed to stop either of them. Mei continued her assault and Chidori hit one of his legs so hard that the axe cut straight through to the middle of the ice, the heat from it melting straight through to the other side.

The sudden amputation of part of his leg sent the Shadow tumbling forwards. Dai and Saiduq took this as a sign to dive off the creatures arm and Mei was thrown off it from the sudden movement. Chidori on the other hand didn't move, which was a problem since the behemoth of a Shadow was set to fall straight onto her. She thought that this was going to be the end of it, that she had stood still too long and that she was going to be robbed of her life a second time.

But if she was to die twice, it would not be today. Before it could fall completely, the Shadow was struck by Castor, having finally freed himself of the knights the Shadow surrounded itself with. The Persona used all its strength to lift the falling Shadow and propelled itself as high up as it could, until the people on the ground could barely see it.

"Get back!" Shinjiro yelled to everyone, knowing that this attack was going to be big. No one argued and they all ran to what they felt was a safe distance.

Up above them, the Shadow was desperately trying to hit Castor, who was now repeatedly punching the beast's chest, cracking what little ice was left, before throwing the thing into the air and punching it towards the ground as it flew back down. When it landed, the ground and what remained of the knights were almost completely destroyed, and the shockwave could be felt dozens of feet away.

Shadow Kirijo clawed at the ground, trying to pull himself back up, but his injuries made it almost impossible for him. Little did he know that Castor was not done with his assault, and as he tried to rise again, the Persona grabbed the spearhead logged in his chest and forcibly pulled it out. With the blade in hand, he threw it straight down towards his target.

It travelled faster than a bullet and tore straight through the Shadows chest, obliterating the skinless man as it cried out in pain. With its core destroyed, the Shadow slumped to the ground and began to dissolve. Eventually, only the blood soaked doppelganger it had originally been remained.

All was silent as it remained there, blankly staring upwards, clearly still alive but with seemingly no drive to move. No one was sure if it was a trap or if it had given up the will to fight, but they also knew that they had wasted enough time with it already and needed to keep moving.

"It's defenceless. We should kill it now while we have the chance!" Mei suggested to Shinji, anger obvious on her face. He wasn't so sure about the idea. He didn't know why, but something told him he shouldn't.

"Wait…" A tired voice said from behind them. Forcing himself to his feet, Kirijo walked past them. "Allow me to fix my mistakes…"

There were many sceptical looks shared, but in the end no one tried to stop him. He walked all the way up to the Shadow and knelt over it.

"While they were fighting you, I realised you were right. I did fail to stop my father. I did allow horrible things to be done and then pretended I didn't know. And I'm not fit to call myself a father…" He confessed, pouring out all the sins he'd kept bottled inside. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to make things right. I want to undo the mistake of the past. I do want to punish those who commit such horrible deeds. But most of all, I want to be a father to my daughter for once in our lives."

The Shadow said nothing. It merely stared at him with a strange curiosity.

"And to do that, I need to stop looking away from the truth. I need to stop denying that there is darkness in my heart." Standing up, he extended his hand to the Shadow. "Will you help me… my other self?"

Seconds passed before anything more happened. Finally, the Shadow reached up and took the originals hand. As soon as he did, he was enveloped in a blue light and smiled before vanishing into thin air.

And floating above where it had been was a man in Greek style armour. He was large and muscular with spikes where his feet should be and a sword strapped to his waist. Across his back was a lion fur cape, with the lions head forming a hood that cast the beings face into darkness. As soon as it finished materialising, a voice rang through the air.

" **Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul I come forth. I am Heracles, conqueror of labours."**

With its speech said, it disappeared and its place was a glowing blue card. The card floated towards a shocked Kirijo. "Is this… a Persona…?"

As he reached out his hands, the card vanished and he felt a great warmth spread through his body. It felt as if the world had been lifted from his shoulders. As soon as he felt it, he knew that his suspicion was right. This being was his Persona.

After breathing a deep sigh, he turned backed to his shocked allies, before collapsing again. Shinjiro was at his side in time to catch him before he could collide with the floor. Words were said to him, but he barely heard them. Instead he looked at the girl who his mistakes had hurt so much and thought one thing.

" _I will use this strength to make it right. My atonement to you begins today."_


	40. Chapter 38 – Mad Beast

**Chapter 38 – Mad Beast**

* * *

"Idiot! Look at what you've done to your hands!"

The group was still recovering from the battle with Shadow Kirijo. Currently, Samantha was chastising Saiduq for recklessly blocking the Shadow's blade with his bare hands, severely injuring them in the process. He could only awkwardly laugh in response to her constant yelling at him. On the other side of the room, Aki was bandaging his leg as best he could while Dai rested his sore shoulders from having the thing try to squash him. Near the path forward, Mei was furiously pacing up and down, still angry for some reason. Masaru watched her move back and forth but didn't say anything, choosing instead to try to figure out why she was so angry.

And while all this was going on, in the centre of the room, Shinji, Kirijo and Chidori were gathered in a small circle. Chidori had put her anger of the oldest man there to the side for now, so that they could attempt to pool their collective knowledge of Persona's and Shadows together to figure out what had just happened.

"Has there ever been any incidents like that before?" Chidori asked, figuring that the other two would be better fit to working out what had happened. Shinji shook his head at the question.

"Not that I've seen... You?" He said, turning to the older man to his right. Kirijo still looked exhausted, and had to lean on Shinjiro's shoulder to avoid falling, but he'd refused to sit down. He wanted answers, and he wouldn't rest till he figured at least some of it out.

"According to my father's research, Shadows are all born from humans, so I should not be surprised that this is possible. However, no incidents were recorded regarding Shadows taking human form." Once Kirijo finished, Chidori sighed as Shinji absently ran his hand over his head, making a mental note to himself to get a new hat, since his head was starting to get cold.

"And what was with it turning into a Persona like that?" The question was a good one, that caused all three to go silent as they thought. None had any idea what happened, and at least a small part of Shinji and Chidori doubted that what they'd seen had been the truth. But Kirijo knew it had been real. He could feel the change in his body, like there was a new power lurking deep within. As he thought, he remembered something he'd read once.

"Jung!" He said suddenly, startling the two teenagers next to him. Their confused stares told him that the word meant nothing to them. "Carl Jung was a 20th century psychologist. He was famous for his theories of the mind. The most well known terms he used were Shadows and Personas. He proposed that Shadows were the sides of ourselves we rejected, while the Personas were facades we used to face various situations. He also said that if someone faced their Shadows, their own suppressed side, it too would become a Persona, aiding us in our efforts to improve ourselves."

"And you think that's what happened here?" Chidori asked, showing suspicion about whether or not Kirijo was telling the truth, or if his information was even accurate.

"I believe so, though there is not enough information to say if I am correct." Kirijo responded, speaking in a tone that showed that he was confident, but acknowledges the possibility he was wrong. Silence reigned for a few seconds as the three contemplated this new information. Finally Shinji broke it at the same time as he broke off from their miniature circle.

"Well, we're not gonna get anywhere like this. And even if we could, now's not the time." The others nodded in agreement as their leader turned to the rest of the team. "How are you all holding up?"

Samantha was the one to answer on the team's behalf, having checked on most of them while the trio had been talking. "Well, Saiduq hurt his hands pretty badly, Aki and Masaru both have injured legs, I think Dai's back got damaged in the last fight."

"Like hell it was!" Dai shouted, though everyone ignored him.

"And Kirijo still looks like he's about to pass out at any minute." She finished, the older man offering no objections to the assumption. In fact it was only a second before he stumbled forwards, only staying upright by leaning on his young leader's shoulder again. The signs weren't good. Almost all of the team were hurt, and they hadn't even reached their objective yet.

"All right... Well we can't afford to stay here any longer. Everyone grab, your stuff and move out." A few weary nods greeted him as several people forced themselves to their feet. Shinji felt bad about forcing them to keep going, but even if they hadn't sealed off the Dimension Gate, Ciel had run in it's direction, and he didn't want to think about what would happen to them if she caught them.

As he watched them walk down the path ahead, he felt a hand grab his arm. He turned to see Samantha, giving him a look that implied she wanted to say something confidential. Obliging her, he leaned close so she could whisper into his ear.

"While I was checking everyone, I couldn't see a single wound on Mei." She said, hiding her mouth behind her hand so no one could read her lips.

"Good. The less injuries we have the better."

"But she was attacking more ferociously than anyone. Doesn't it seem a little strange she's in the heart of the conflict, yet walks away without a scratch?" She had a point, and one he hadn't even considered. How did she avoid getting hurt when people fighting for much less time than her were barely walking?

"It's a good question, but I hardly think it's our biggest problem right now. Agreed?" She stared at him for a second, silently questioning him, before nodding and walking to catch up with the others. Shinji sighed at the idea of another potential problem, and desperately hoped it was nothing.

A few feet away, the subject of their conversation had stopped to stare at them, wondering what they were talking about. She was also wondering why she cared, but something about those two talking in secret bothered her. She was so focused that she didn't notice the man in the large hat lean over her shoulder. "Jealous again?"

Mei jumped at his sudden closeness and, without thinking, punched him in the face. As soon as she realized he wasn't an enemy, she began to regret what she did. "Oh! I'm sorry! You surprised me, and I thought you were an enemy!"

As Juro clutched his nose, he gave a weary smile. "No harm done... Man, you've got a good arm..."

The winged girl decided to walk on before she hurt the gunner again. It was only after she did that she thought about his words. He'd said something similar when Ciel was pretending to be defenceless. She still didn't know what she was supposed to be jealous about, but she hoped that things didn't turn out like they did last time Juro said that.

* * *

The hall went on for a few more minutes of silence. No one wanted to speak, leaving the atmosphere tense and somber, but also focused and driven. So many of them were forcing themselves to keep going, or needed to be supported by someone else. Still, none even considered stopping. They'd come this far, they were going to finish the fight.

Suddenly, they heard a strange, almost inaudible noise. They couldn't make it out, but it seemed to be getting louder. And as it did, numerous cracks began to appear in the ceiling above them. They wasted no time in running, narrowly making it to safety before everything above where they had just been standing came crashing to the ground.

As the dust settled, everyone became aware of the source of the strange noise, and who they assume had caused this. Much to their surprise, the sound seemed to be a woman panting for breath. The air was still too clouded with debris to see her, but her silhouette implied she was strapped to a chair.

And then she spoke, and the temperature of the room dropped considerably. "That felt good..."

Everyone heard it, and almost all of them flinched at the sound. They knew that voice. It was one they had hoped to never hear again. Some of them wished that their ears had been lying to them, and that someone else sat in that chair.

But as their vision cleared, their was no mistaking the horned, dark haired woman before the, dressed in a revealing pair of shorts and a black tank top with white stripes forcing all who saw her to focus on her breasts. All of this was rounded off by a pair of black bat wings, that the mere sight of caused many of them to relive unpleasant memories.

"Oh? If it isn't the rough boy and his friends..." She breathed out seductively, leaning forwards as she did. "And here I am, completely helpless. Why someone could do such horrible things to me!"

Almost everyone noticed that she seemed to try to spread her legs as she said this, and that her voice carried no sincerity at all, almost as if she wanted them to act on any carnal desires they might have. They also noticed that their was an unconscious Senior buried in the rubble, blood pouring out of his ears. It wasn't long before most of them figured out who was responsible for his injuries, and that didn't build their confidence.

After a few tense moments, Dai stepped forward and placed his sword at her neck, it's jagged edges drawing blood instantly. Still, Damia looked unfazed, her smile actually growing. "This is new... Will it feel good for us both?"

Dai shut her up by pressing the blade further into her neck. "Let's kill her now while we have the chance."

The suggestion was tempting for more than a few, who were still bitter about their last meeting. Still, Shinji would rather that they didn't kill anyone, especially someone who couldn't fight back.

"Wait." Pulling Dai back, he approached the restrained Succubus. "I have questions. You're gonna answer them."

"Ok! My first kiss with a boy was when I was eighteen. Then I got my first kiss with a girl from his girlfriend about a week later. Then when I was nineteen-" Her obvious attempt to waste their time was cut off by a metal fist slamming into the wall next to her head. It was the first time she'd seen it, and she spent a moment just looking at it. Then she smiled and ran her tounge along it, making him just uncomfortable enough to pull it back.

"Why are you strapped to this chair?" He questioned, trying to ignore what just happened.

"Well, after I had my fun with you guys, some awful men jumped me and dragged me away!" She answered, mock horror filling her voice. "I thought they were going to make me do things for them. Or to them... But instead, they just made me listen to a story about some guy called Aurum. It wasn't what I was expecting, but he sounded very... interesting."

He rolled his eyes at her incredibly unsubtle performance, before moving on. "Do you know what made the ceiling collapse?"

"That was me. See the longer they talked about this guy, the more excited I got. And, well, sometimes when I get excited, I get loud." To prove her point, she released a moan that seemed to send a sonic wave through the air, hurting everyone's ears. It wasn't hard to imagine a louder version damaging the building, or causing the unconscious Senior's injuries.

"We're wasting our time! Let's just finish her and move on!" Dai roared before Shinji could ask another question. He was going to stop him, but someone else beat him to it.

"Whoa, let's not be hasty!" Said Saiduq, his hands making a calming gesture. "The way I see it, she's an enemy of the Seniors just like us. With how strong she is, we should probably bring her with us."

Those words caused Dai to spin to face Saiduq at an almost impossible speed. Quickly he approached the fighter and glared down at him. "Tell me you're joking, before I pull off your arms."

It was clear from both men's body language that one was going to attack the other at any moment. Since fighting in the middle of the enemy base was a bad idea in all conceivable ways, Aki decided to intervene. "Calm down you guys! We're on the same team so we shouldn't be fighting, right?"

Both men glared at him for a few seconds. Eventually, Saiduq let out a tired sigh as his face relaxed. In contrast, Dai continued to glare, only he turned to face Damia as he did. Rubbing his temples, Shinji turned back to Damia and considered Saiduq's suggestion. Could he really trust Damia? She'd tried to kill them in the past, but then again it wasn't her that started that fight. She had many useful skills, but he didn't know if she'd focus them on the enemy, or turn them against him and his allies. Was now the right time for him to take risks?

While he was lost in thought, the restrained girl noticed that the blood from the wounds on her neck was starting to pour on to her shirt. Sneering at the offensive liquid, she waved her hand in an intricate pattern. As soon as she finished, a bright light shot out of her hand and hit her neck. When it faded, her wounds were completely healed. There wasn't even a scab or scratch to show that a wound had been there.

Everyone noticed it happen, and it was what made their leader finally reach his decision. "Do you hate the Seniors?"

"We Succubi don't hate anyone. We love all equally." She responded. Shinji opted to ignore the statement.

"They kidnapped you and tried to turn you into their slave. Don't you want to make them pay?"

"I find that a lot can be forgiven... under certain circumstances." This was getting them nowhere. It was as if she wanted to stay strapped to the chair, which wouldn't be that big a surprise to a few people. Shinji could feel anoher headache coming on.

"I have an idea." Said Kirijo, as he approached. Damia flashed him a flirty smile as he got closer, as if she was challenging him to change her mind. "The Seniors have commit numerous sins, and yet they've gotten away with them so far... I suppose you could say, they've been very bad."

He almost breathed out the last word, doing his best to sound flirtatious. The Succubus tilted her head as he spoke, her smile never fading. "Oh dear! That's just horrible!"

"Naughty children should be punished, wouldn't you agree?"

"You said they're getting away with it, so who could possibly do it?" Her voice once again carried false emotions, made obvious by her smile. Before Kirijo finished, he leaned towards her ear and began whispering.

"How would you like to punish some bad boys and girls?"

She practically shuddered in excitement, and her smile threatened to cover her entire face. "I'd be honoured."

With tha said, the two Persona users nodded at each other and began to remove her restraints. They only removed her wrist cuffs before they were interrupted by a loud slamming noise, and what felt like the entire corridor shaking. Turning, they saw Dai with his fist sunk into the wall, the area around it full of cracks. "WHY DO YOU WANT HER HERE?!"

His outburst was, sadly, not surprising. Picking his words carefully, Shinji attempted to calm him down. "Dai, she has healing powers, and none of us do. She's too useful to ignore."

"We haven't needed a healer so far! And besides, things like her only know how to hurt people!"

"Maybe you're right. But if that's true, let's convince her to hurt our enemies."

"And when she's done, she'll stab us in the back!" This wasn't looking good. If anything, Dai was getting angrier, which made everyone suddenly much more aware of how much bigger he was than then rest of them. Grunting in annoyance, he turned towards the path they'd been heading for before Damia arrived. "I'm going to scout ahead... When we get back to base, she'd better be gone."

And before anyone could change his mind, he dashed off. Juro called after him, but got no response. Shinji had to resist punching the wall himself by this unbearably frustrating and illogical decision by the warrior. "What's his problem?!"

"..." As everyone was busy complaining about Dai's decision, Juro stood in silence. He contemplated what he should do, finally settling on what he felt he should do. "I'm gonna go keep an eye on him, see if I can bring him back."

"What, so you wanna leave too?!"

"Not for long! It's just... I owe Dai a lot, and I know he shouldn't be alone right now. I'll come back when I convince him." Something about the way he spoke proved that even if he didn't get permission, he was still going. So Shinji decided to not even bother.

"Just... Just go." He said, waving his hand in defeat. Juro gave a quick nod and headed off after his friend. The group morale dropped at this. To lose one teammate was unfortunate, but to lose two was disastrous. Now both their close range and long range offensive capabilities were noticeably lacking in comparison to what they had five minutes ago.

"Aww. Was that my fault?" Damia said, having removed the last of her restraints while everyone was distracted. "Well, I guess I'll have to make up for it. I hope this'll do~!"

Quickly, she leaned over and gave Kirijo a kiss on the cheek. When she did, the same bright light from before covered him. When it faded, he stood up straight for the first time since his Shadow appeared. It seems her healing spell revitalized him. Once she was done, she flew over to Aki and did the same, the magic healing his bullet ridden leg. She did the same for the others, darting back and forth between all of them. When she reached Mei though, she stopped for a moment and began floating around her.

"Hmm... Not bad." She said, running her eyes along the dark haired girls body. "Not bad at all."

"Hey! Focus!" Shinji interrupted. "We're still in enemy territory! We can't waste ti-"

As if on cue, as if the universe couldn't go five seconds without making their lives more difficult, something fell through the hole in the ceiling. When they got a good look at it, they noticed it was a man with white hair. His body was almost entirely covered by a black coat covered in blood. Everything about this guy gave the impression he was an enemy.

"Mao? Where are you Mao?" He said, his back turned to everyone else in the room. When he finally turned, everyone saw his red eyes and crazed smile. "Not here? Not here, not here, NOT HERE! YOU LIED TO ME!"

His sudden shouting was directed at the hole he'd come down, from which another voice emerged. "I only said he might be down there. I never said he WAS."

Soon after, a second figure dropped down. This one was recognized by most there, his blonde hair and headphones proving to be very distinctive. When he spotted the team, a cocky smile filled his face. "Oh? If it isn't the trash!"

Shinji only vaguely recognized the man, having only seen him briefly. "You... you were there when Castor took control..."

"Castor, huh? So that's the name of my rival? Well, you better tell him that Raiga Ryuuji challenges him to a fight."

"You got a death wish? Castor'll rip you apart." Raiga was clearly not listening to Shinji's warning, yawning part way through it. "But since you're working with the Seniors, I'll have to beat you down."

"We don't have time for this!" Rasped the white haired man. His argument was also ignored.

"Magatsu. I need to show this trash his place. You handle the rest."

"Our agreement was I fight Mao! I don't care about this fight, so handle it yourself!" The man now known as Magatsu almost hissed as he spoke.

Raiga slowly turned his head at this "If you don't do as I say, we won't guide you to Mao."

Magatsu roared in response. Once he was done, he resorted back to conventional speech. "Fine! But if you lie again, no one will protect you from me!"

Raiga didn't speak after this. Instead he pulled out an axe and spun it around. Magatsu followed suit, drawing a blood soaked sword. With their enemies armed, Shinjiro and everyone else drew their weapons. Raiga was the first to move, rushing at almost unbelievable speeds towards Shinji. He didn't have time to dodge, but he was able to raise his weapon and metal hand in time to block the attack. Still, the force of it was enough to propel him past all of his allies, and land a few feet behind them. It was only a few seconds before Raiga charged at him again, getting past all of his allies before they could even react.

As soon as he saw his leader in trouble, Aki moved to help him. A sword blow across his back stopped this, and he fell to his knees. Somehow Magatsu had gotten close to him, hit him in the back and then circle around in front of him before he could even finish collapsing. In fact, he'd managed to position himself in between the group and Shinji, meaning that if they wanted to help their leader, they'd have to defeat this foe first.

"Well, since you're eager to die, I'll make this quick." The blonde haired warrior boasted. Shinji didn't answer, instead choosing to enter a combat stance that allowed for quick blocking. Someone who could move as fast as Raiga wasn't to be taken lightly. Raiga attacked immediately, and in a feat of pure strength, knocked Shinjiro's sword clean into the ground. Normally this would demoralize the now disarmed man, but as has already been established, Shinjiro is hardly normal. Raiga was caught off guard by the fist to the face, and even more so to discover it was made of metal. This surprise lasted long enough for the young Persona user to pull his sword back out of the ground and launch a second attack. Sadly, Raiga recovered and dodged the attack before it could connect.

Just a few feet away, the others were wondering how to deal with Magatsu while Damia healed Aki. Masaru was the first to step forward, clearly unhappy with the sight of his best friend in pain. Magatsu stared at him, but it was an unfocused glance, as if he couldn't really see the Ronin. Despite this, when Masaru attacked, he instantly raised his blade and blocked it, his eyes still unfocused and his posture unconcerned. Even a series of rapid strikes from every angle imaginable didn't seem to register in his mind as he casually blocked each attack. Suddenly, he darted to the left, having given no signs that he would do so. A sane person would have used his foes surprise at this to hit him in the back while he's defenceless. Magatsu on the other hand decided to attack a completely different opponent, Saiduq specifically, leaving the swordsman he had just been dueling alone and confused.

Meanwhile, Shinji and Raiga's battle was growing more and more intense. Each one was narrowly missing cutting off the others limbs with every attack, and barely dodging the others attempt to do the same to them. They took turns ducking, jumping, turning and counter attacking, but still neither was landing a hit. Every so often their blades would meet, but they would quickly knock each other aside, leaving their wielders to try again and inevitabl miss. "You can't beat me like this. Why don't you just accept that your only purpose is as another beings vessel?"

"Don't cry when I prove you wrong!" Shinjiro snarled, proving his point by grazing Raiga's leg. It wasn't much, in fact Raiga barely noticed it, but it was still an improvement. That didn't stop Castor from speaking in the back of his mind.

 _"He's strong. And he's got a lot more speed than you do. If he keeps this up, we're gonna lose."_ Shinji didn't respond to his other self. He knew what his Persona was suggesting, and it was out of the question. The last time he'd fused with Castor, he'd passed out afterwards, and he couldn't risk that happening until after he finished the mission. Even summoning him to fight Shadow Kirijo had been draining, so that was a big risk too. That and he wanted to personally knock out half of Raiga's teeth for his insults earlier.

Magatsu seemed to be a completely different person while attacking Saiduq. While before he had been apathetically blocking every attack thrown at him, now he was ferociously attacking with all his strength. It was taking all of Saiduq's skills to block and dodge even half of these attacks, but that still meant that he was getting hit numerous times. Samantha and Masaru were trying to attack his exposed back, but either by chance or skill, Magatsu kept twisting his body to avoid the attacks. Forming a strategy was impossible, since his movements never made sense. To the sidelines, Kirijo tried to align a shot to help, but everyone was moving around so much that it was impossible. Chidori also wanted to join the fight, but there were so few openings for her to enter, and the ones that did happen lasted about a second, before it disappeared again. Still, something needed to be done soon, or Saiduq wouldn't be standing much longer.

As they tried desperately to help their ally, Shinjiro and Raiga were moving further and further away from their respective allies. Neither noticed though, as their only focus was on the man in front of them. Shinji was beginning to worry, as every strike Raiga made was stronger than the last. He was struggling just to keep from being hit, making attacking impossible. Raiga realised this too, and his smile grew as a result. He knew exactly how to end this battle, and there was no way to stop him. So he raised his axe above his head, and with all his strength he brought it down towards his targets head. Shinjiro raised his own blade to block it, but only too late did he realise that this was exactly what Raiga wanted him to do. Raiga's strength proved too much, and Shinji could only watch as his sword shattered. For a second he just stared at where the blade had been, before Raiga's laughter broke him from his thoughts. "How are ya gonna fight without a weapon?"

He wanted to respond, but he couldn't even think of what he'd say. The sword was just a handle and he could barely hold the axe. It was then he had a bolt of inspiration, as he remembered his last visit to Mao's lab. Gazing at his metal hand, he focussed as hard as he could, and witnessed a set of sharp points extend from the tip of each finger. It wasn't much, but it was all he had. Raiga chuckled at the sight of it, clearly unimpressed. Still, he smirked at his foe and charged once more.

On the other side of the corridor, Magatsu seemed to realise that someone had been attacking him from behind for the last few minutes, or perhaps got tired of ignoring them and whirled round, cutting them both in the legs before they could even realise he had moved. In fact he did this so quickly, that he was back to fighting Saiduq before they even felt the pain of his attacks. As soon as they did, they collapsed and clutched their bleeding limbs. With a clearer opening, Chidori tried to attack, but Magatsu seemed to predict this and stopped his attacks long enough to ram his elbow into her stomach and then punch her into a wall. With allies falling left and right, Kirijo could only watch in horror. Magatsu was still moving too quickly for him to fire a shot, and their was no way he could attack him physically. So what could he do?

 _"Call forth..."_ A voice echoed inside him. He clutched his head at the sound, though despite this he felt no pain. He had never experienced this before, but he quickly realised what it meant. He didn't have to sit on the sidelines anymore. Now he had the strength to fight himself. All he needed to do was grasp it.

As his strength of will grew, a card appeared before him. Without even thinking, he pointed his pistol at it and called a name so natural, he could have sworn he'd known it his entire life. "Heracles!"

The moment he pulled the trigger, the hooded warrior appeared above him. The feeling of it emerging from his soul was both draining and exhilarating. Controlling the Persona also came naturally to him, as he ordered it to attack Magatsu. Even the deranged man noticed the giant creature move to attack him, and he quickly dodged, and just in time to avoid being flattened by the man's giant fist. The Persona moved almost as fast as his target, each attack barely missing, and the swordsman being forced to keep moving. Still, it would take too long to keep going like this, so he decided it was time to test another of Heracles' powers. Just after Magatsu dodged one of his powerful punches, the Persona opened it's palm and emit a blue light. As soon as the light touched the mad man, his body began to freeze. He desperately tried to free his captive limbs, but found that it was impossible. A scream of rage emerged from his mouth, before his head was completely trapped under layers of ice.

And a few second later, Heracles punched the frozen figure, breaking the ice and sending him flying. He flew over Saiduq who punched him as he passed, and straight into Damia, who spun her body and kicked him so hard that he flew right back up the hole he'd emerged from, and out of their collective sight.

At the same time as all this was happening, Shinji had managed to barely stop Raiga's attack by grabbing the axe by the handle. He could feel the blonde haired man's strength as he tried to hold him back. But what mattered wasn't that he was holding back Raiga's attack, but that his metal hand was free and Raiga had left a huge opening in his defences. And so, using all the strength he had left, he raised his hand and sunk it's claws into Raiga's vulnerable face, leaving four lines across his face, starting at his cheek and ending at his forehead. He staggered back while clutching his face wih his hand. "MY EYE! YOU BASTARD!"

Now was his chance. While Raiga was engulfed by pain,Shinjiro ran forward and grabbed the axe again, holding it in place as he punched Raiga again, deliberately aiming for his new cuts. More pain flared in Raiga's mind, and he couldn't help but let go of his axe and bring his other hand to his face. The fight was as good as over now, as Shinji charged forward and punched Raiga one final time with as much force as he could muster. The mix of metal, momentum, and the pain Raiga already felt made the attack too strong for him to take, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. And as his blood poured on to the ground, Shinjiro rested against the nearest wall. He could see from here that the others had won their battle, so he decided that a moment's rest would not be impossible.

* * *

He had been so close. She had finally found him and he'd gotten away. The one person she vowed would never escape her and he had done just that. Her blood was boiling at the thought. Everything else had become irrelevant compared to finding him.

"What's the matter?" A voice called. His voice! A second later a crystal had emerged beneath the voice. Turning, she saw a random Senior. He had slipped away again!

"What are you doing!?" That voice again! This time she sent two spikes to be sure. Yet again all she impaled was a random Senior. She cursed at this and went back to looking.

"Why are you doing this!? We're on the same side!" She turned at that sound. There he was. That dark coat that matched his hair so well, and the violet eye that stood out from the rest of his appearance.

"Same side...? SAME SIDE!? YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!" She didn't even know how many crystals she sent at him, only that it wasn't enough, as once again he vanished as they entered his body, and another inconsequential Senior met his fate. Her breathing was ragged, and she could feel crystals expanding across her neck and under her bandaged arms. She could feel a presence behind her. She knew it was him again. Turning, there he was, much younger than before. Now he was just a child, both eyes exposed and a smile on his face. Slowly she approached him. "Why the Hell are you smiling!? You won't do anything. You won't save me. You won't even hold me! No one did! No one did! No one!"

More crystals emerged as she spoke, impaling any being that got near them. Anything stabbed by them was then incased in crystal, ensuring their death. The hallucination of the boy vanished and she looked over the carnage she had created. Usually the sight of massacred bodies cheered her up, but this time the sight was hollow. She only wanted one thing, and it had been taken from her again. With one last roar of anger, she used her crystals to break a whole clean through the side of the Senior classrooms. She looked through it and saw the academy beneath her. Something told her he was down there, waiting for her. In response, she jumped straight down, summoning more crystals to jump off of as she did.

This time Ciel wouldn't let him escape.


	41. Chapter 39 – The True King

**Chapter 39 – The True King**

* * *

Silence reigned as the two men walked. While the hat wearing gunner clearly wished to speak and break the noticable tension, the bandanna wearing warrior looked like he would explode in anger at the slightest sound. Regardless, Juro decided to press his luck and start speaking. "Soooo... Where are we goin'?"

"Don't know." Dai responded, not pausing in the slightest. Juro sighed at his friends trying to reason with him wouldn't be easy. Still, someone had to.

"Maybe we should have stuck with the others. I mean they watched our backs, they had food, the girls were real beauties."

"..."

"And that new chick was totally hot!" He would have continued if Dai hadn't stomped his foot down as he ground to a halt. Turning, he glared at his companion.

"I know what you're doing and it won't work." He said through gritted teeth. "i don't want to hear any jokes right now. I just want to get this over with."

Juro's face became remorseful and he gazed down in such a way that his hat obscured his face. "Sorry. I just thought that you needed to calm down. But I see now that you need time. I'll keep my comments to myself."

Dai raised his hand as if to say something, before clenching it, releasing a frustrated sound and turning his back on Juro. Like it or not, he knew Juro was only looking out for him, and that meant he couldn't in good conscience yell at him. So instead he focussed on walking, secretly comforted by the sound of Juro's continued footsteps behind him.

The gunner himself was lost in thought. What he'd said hadn't been a complete joke, he'd only tried to pass it off as one. He knew Dai was wrong in what he was doing, and he suspected that Dai knew it as well. But as he considered what he knew, what Dai had told him and no one else, he couldn't help but wonder if he could even blame him. After all, if he'd suffered the same treatment from a Succubus as Dai, he probably would have hated their entire species as well. Now wasn't the time for that though. Right now they were in enemy territory and had only each other to rely on. Focussing on his environment seemed much more important.

* * *

After letting Damia heal all of them (And a moment to wonder if she needed to kiss them to do it), everyone was back on their feet, several of them more annoyed at recent events than others. One in particular was currently staring at the broken sword he had loaned his leader before this battle began. He didn't move as he presumably glared at the shattered blade from behind his hair. Shinjiro and Aki stared at him as he did, worried about how he might react. "Sorry, I'll be sure to replace it."

No response. After a few moments, something strange happened. A strange black liquid poured out of Masaru's sleeve onto his free hand. Once it was completely covered, his finger tips became claws and, without a moment of hesitation, he turned and slashed at the nearest wall. It seemed to do nothing, until he backhanded the wall, revealing he'd left five clean cuts in it, letting him break the wall apart easily. Still he made no sound, but their was something about the way he turned to Raiga, who was still unconscious on the floor, that told everyone that he wasn't going to let this man live. Shinjiro wasted no time getting between the two.

"We're not killing him."

"Why? He tried to kill you, he broke my sword and he's working with the Seniors. I'd say killing him would save us a lot of time." His voice was tranquil. The way his arm was shaking proved that his mind was not. Defusing this situation would be difficult. Masaru was clearly furious, but his reliance on logic meant he'd keep finding reasons to kill him no matter what Shinji would say.

"Even if you want to kill him, doing it while he's down is unacceptable. Even if you can justify it."

He wasn't expecting that to work. This meant he was surprised when the claw encasing Masaru's hand vanished and he turned away. "You have a point. Doing that would be dishonourable. Do with him what you want."

He was relieved to hear those words. He didn't want his allies to kill people, even if they were enemies. They'd probably look down on him for that, but if they did he'd just find a new way to earn their respect. With the situation diffused, the people who had been watching went back to what they were doing, mostly checking the condition of their weapons or securing Raiga with strong ropes in case he woke up. Kirijo meanwhile had called his Persona card to his hand and just watched as it spun above his palm, the symbol of the Emperor Arcana glowing on it's face.

"How does it feel summoning it for the first time?" Shinjiro asked, startling the older man out of his daze. He gave a tired smile in response.

"Tiring, but the power flowing through me felt incredible."

"Yeah? Well don't rely on it too much. The longer it's out, the more exhausted you'll get. Don't want to risk passing out in a fight." Kirijo nodded at this, checking to see if his gun was fully loaded in response. Everyone else looked ready. "We've wasted too much time! Let's go!"

A series of nods and agreements later and everyone had gotten to their feet and continued moving. Before Shinji could follow, the handle of a sword was held in front of him.

"This is my back up sword." Masaru said, not looking at his leader. The second sword that was always strapped to his waist was gone, so Shinji could only assume that the sword in front of him was that one. As he reached forward to grab it, Masaru pulled it back. "If you let this one break, you're going to find your other arm cut off."

He'd say the swordsman was making an idle threat, something to emphisize that he wanted the sword back, but he got the feeling that Masaru wouldn't waste his time with false threats. He simply nodded as his answer, before Masaru held the sword out to him again. Grabbing it, he carefully clipped the scabbard to his own waist, before continuing on, getting the feeling that he shouldn't try to ask why Masaru was so angry. If he wanted to explain, he'd do it in his own time. Besides, he needed to find his target first. They were behind schedule and in enemy territory. He couldn't afford to be distracted.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to find their target. It was impossible to mistake the glowing circle attached to the wall for anything other than the anti-grav symbol that kept the Senior classrooms afloat. Since this one contained less energy than the Dimension Gate, it was easier to deactivate. Specifically, it was safe enough for Aki to punch till it and the wall behind it were practically annihilated.

"That was easy." He said, sounding a little dissapointed that it was resolved so easily. The others were perfectly willing to accept the situation and turned to Shinjiro as he began speaking.

"If Gin's right, we've got half an hour to finish our business here. And according to his map we're not too far from our meeting spot. Let's not waste any more time."

The path from then on was uneventful, with the only Seniors being already unconscious from axe and sword wounds or the occasional bullet holes. No one spoke about it but more than a few saw it as a sign that their missing companions were ok, which relieved them. This theory was proven when they reached the end of the long corridor and saw the two standing there, Dai still holding his blood stained weapons. Juro noticed them approach and gave a small wave and an awkward smile. Dai kept his focus on the room ahead, keeping his back to the group the whole time.

Looking into the room, Shinjiro saw no sign of Mao or any member of his group. There were no Seniors either, which should have been comforting, but with the size of the room being taken into account, it was more suspicious than anything. The room was a long path up, with numerous staircases connecting large platforms. The Seniors mad art design was clear, as objects stuck out from the floors with little rhyme or reason. On top of that, as soon as the path began, the walls simply stopped, leaving nothing to stop anyone from falling into a seemingly endless abyss.

Before he could double check the map, he saw Mao enter from the main hallway, followed closely by his allies. Almost immediately after entering, Almaz began coughing, leading to some of the others to stop and check on him. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it's clear they were worried about him. Seeing as how Almaz was one of the only people who seemed both friendly and sane, Shinji began making his own way closer to check on him. He stopped in his tracks though when Mao turned towards the huge staircase and spoke.

"... Isn't that right, Salvatore the Magnificent?"

That name... he'd heard the others use it. She was the one who his team fought after his first battle with Ciel. They'd warned him to be careful around her. Turning, he saw the military clad woman standing on the nerby stairs, as if she appeared out of thin air at the sound of her name. She pulled down her cap, obscuring her eyes as she responded. "... You sensed my presence? You've grown much in such a short time."

Mao's confident smirk faded as he began to speak more seriously. "Where is your leader? Let's get this over quick. I want a leader vs. leader duel."

"Hmph, you conceited white-haired kid. You have gotten somewhat better, but you're nowhere close to our leader." She said, still keeping her eyes hidden from everyone in the room.

"Heh heh heh heh... Is that your way of acting like a big shot? What a coward." Mao said tauntingly before throwing his ams out dramatically and letting a look of insane joy take over his face. "Alright then... I'll beat you up and force you to drag this leader of yours out!"

Finally looking up at the group, she yelled, "Don't act so arrogant, kid! There are powers in this world that are far beyond your imagination!"

"And whose power would this be?" Said a voice from the back of the crowd, causing Salvatore to flinch and look down again. A few moments later, Gin had walked next to Mao, never taking his gaze off the woman in front of him. "Because it doesn't sound like you're talking about your own. Or any of the other Diez Gentlemen for that matter."

She didn't face him, and surprisingly, her voice was quiet when she answered. "Gin... I had hoped you were smart enough to stay away... We have been given strict orders to kill you on sight."

"The price of standing up for my ideals, I suppose..."

"The price of BETRAYAL Gin!" She snapped, glaring at him with eyes that implied she wasn't talking about his betrayal of the Diez Gentlemen. "You had your role in life and you can't tell me you weren't satisfied with it! And then you just leave without a word! No warning! No official resignation! Not even a single sticky note to tell us you were going! You say it was for your ideals, but why did you have to hurt your unit for them?! Why did you have to hurt me?!"

"..." He couldn't answer if he wanted to. She was right when she said he was satisfied with his role as a Diez Gentlemen and that he didn't tell anyone about his departure. Anything he could say to try and calm her would be a lie, and he could see he'd hurt her enough as it is. To risk doing so again was unthinkable.

"So you don't even have the decency to answer me... Fine..." Readjusting her cap, she regained her cold, emotionless face. "Under the orders of the Senior class leader, the traitor and his allies will be executed! I order you all to transform into beings of energy and charge at our forces!"

While Gin remained in sad silence, Mao confidently responded to her insane request. "Alright, I can do that for you! Right now, I feel like I could do anything!"

As soon as he finished, more Seniors appeared along the staircase, and Salvatore leaped backwards, climbing as far up as she could. Eventually, she vanished from sight amidst the chaotic architecture. Gin clenched his fists at this, though who he was angry at was unclear. Still, he drew his staff as everyone else drew their weapons or entered their fighting stances. If he couldn't justify his actions to her, then he'd just have to keep going and hope she'd come to understand.

The first to charge the enemy were Mei, Asuka, Masaru and the Magic Knight following Mao, who clashed with two bow wielding Exorcists and two sword carrying Samurai respectively. Everyone else took advantage of this strategy and rushed past to face the enemies further ahead. It was only a few steps before the Healer of Mao's team and Cross were forced to stop and hold off a rival Healer and Shaman.

With every enemy on the first section of the staircase occupied, the others could proceed further up. Their progress was slowed by four Gunners, two male and two female. The blue Geo panels they stood on made almost all attacks against them miss. Since only the fastest fighters could even graze them, Juro, Samantha, Saiduq and Kyoko stayed to try and hold them off.

Immediately after getting past them, the remaining warriors ran into three Armoured Knights standing on Geo panels that boosted their defensive prowess even further than it's already absurd limits. These ones were distracted by Dai, Champloo and Aki, with Beryl and the Witch of their group staying behind to provide magical support, and Mao's Warrior and Fury Fatalist going to dispatch the nearby Heretic, so he wouldn't attempt to heal his allies.

There was only one flight of stairs left between the group and Salvatore, and she was down to her last two subordinates, both of whom were staff wielding Magic Knights. Meanwhile they still had over half a dozen strong fighters on their side and Damia flying around healing anyone who needed helped. It looked like this battle might just end with their victory.

Of course, that wasn't accounting for the unexpected, which in this case took the form of a pair of feet kicking Shinjiro and Kirijo in the head and knocking them back to the bottom of the stairs before landing on the ground next to them. The two men quickly got up from where they landed to glare at their opponent. He was a pale man with similarly white hair contrasted by his black robe and matching slacks and combat boots, all of which were in tatters. But what was most noticeable were his mismatched eyes. The left one was red with a snake like pupil, while the right one was blue and seemed to have no pupil at all. He held a katana in his hand, leading Shinji to briefly wonder why so many of his opponents used the same kind of sword, but he quickly pushed that thought aside.

"And you are?" He asked the mystery man, sensing that this guy was more dangerous than a standard Senior.

"The last thing you'll ever see." Was all he said before charging forward. He was exceptionally fast, but just slow enough for Shinji to block his attack. While the man was still, Kirijo attempted to fire at his head, only for the black clad man to lean back enough to dodge it. As he dodged, he swung his sword at the one eyed man, who thankfully moved fast enough to avoid serious injury, but he still felt the blade cut his chin. With his blade failing to kill either man, the swordsman backflipped away from the two and entered a combat stance. The Persona users inched closer together and Kirijo whispered to his leader.

"How should we handle this?"

"Try and beat him without relying on your Persona. Only summon it if things get rough." Shinji whispered back.

"I'll try and cover you." Kirijo said while readying his pistol. Shinji merely nodded before charging forward to attack.

Meanwhile, the people who had been walking with the two just a few moments ago had reached the top of the stairs. Sapphire and Almaz wasted no time attacking one of the two nearby Magic Knights and Chidori soon attacked the remaining one. This left Mao and Gin to face off with Salvatore by themselves. Mao was perfectly content to attack ferociously, immediately summoning an orb of green energy to his fist and rushing to punch her. He wasn't fast enough though, and she managed to backstep the attack, still being caught in the ensuing explosion, but avoiding the brunt of the attack. Not waiting for the smoke to clear, she fired five bullets at him, two missing barely, but the remaining three hitting him in a line down the left side of his chest.

The bullets caused him to kneel in pain for a brief moment, one she planned to take advantage of to shoot him in the head and be done with him. The only reason this failed was because a gust of magical wind blew in between the two, sending the bullet flying off in a random direction. Incidentally, in a moment of fortune for the attacking forces, the bullet struck the hand of one of the two Samurai Seniors, causing him to drop his sword in pain. Regardless, the figures on the top platform didn't notice this improbable outcome. In fact the only thing Salvatore noticed was Gin holding his staff in front of Mao, as if he was wordlessly telling her that he wouldn't allow her to harm his ally.

To say that she disapproved of this was an understatement, as the subsequent storm of bullets flying towards him proved. She was firing so erratically that most simply missed while the one that didn't were blocked by his staff. By the time she was done firing, Mao was back on his feet and charging at her, sword ready to cut into her shoulder. She didn't have time to dodge the swing of the blade and as a result her blood stained the floor in front of her and she barely stopped herself from dropping her gun.

On the other side of the room, Shinji was desperately trying to hit his opponent, who was doing a good job of blocking and evading the attacks but was unable to counter. Kirijo kept trying to find a good position to fire from but the two kept side stepping, causing his bullets to hit nothing but air. He cursed his inability to launch a successful attack but kept trying regardless. Eventually the Senior jumped as far back as he could, blocking a bullet as he did.

"Seems I'm not taking this seriously enough. I won't make that mistake again." He said, assuming his fighting stance again. A second later he had charged right past Shinjiro, cutting him along the stomach. Immediately after, he lept at Kirijo, seeking to decapitate him before he could react. Using reflexes he didn't know he had, the executive ducked under the attack at the last moment. Unfortunately he did not hav the reflexes to avoid the mans subsequent attempt to knee him in the gut. Once Kirijo had the wind knocked from his lungs, his attacker lifted him over his head and through him straight at the nearby stairs. The impact was harsh and no doubt did serious damage to his back.

With Kirijo down, the assailant turned his focus back to Shinji, who thanks to a quick healing from Damia, could afford to stand up again without clutching his injuries. He quickly signalled for her to see to Kirijo and pointed his sword back at his foe. The white haired man charged at him again, through this time Shinjiro saw it coming and was able to block it, stopping the enemy mid charge.

Back at the top of the room, Salvatore had grabbed onto Mao's wrist to keep him from attacking. With her other hand she prepared to fire point blank into his chest, only for a staff to knock the gun down, discharging the bullet directly into the floor. Seeing that Gin was about to bring his staff to meet her face, she estimated that holding onto Mao any longer would be counterproductive, and subsequently let him go in order to lean away from the incoming blunt object. As soon as she did, Gin extended his free hand and from it came cold energy that began to form into ice around her legs. Against any other opponent this would have been a viable strategy, but Salvatore was strong enough to easily break the ice and pull out a second pistol.

Both Gin and Mao recognized this gun. It was the one she'd used to summon that giant gun in their last battle. The idea that she could summon such a weapon inside the Senior classrooms seemed ludicrous, but given the orders Salvatore gave before the battle, they wouldn't put it past her to attempt it anyway. Sure enough, she pointed it to the sky and pulled the trigger, and the enormous revolver once again materialized, no matter how little sense it made. And, just like before, instead of the gun firing in a sensible way, its summoner instead jumped towards the trigger, and once again kicked it and used the snap back to fire herself onto the giant speeding bullet. Mao barely dived out of the way, but the former Senior wasn't so lucky. He was struck with enough force to lift him off the ground and send him straight into a nearby wall, just before the bullet exploded.

Dazed, there was nothing he could do to avoid falling to the ground at her feet. Slowly she pointed her gun at him, knowing that her orders to execute him were absolute. Her opinions didn't matter and neither did her feelings. All that mattered was her orders.

And yet no matter how many times she recited this mantra in her head, her finger didn't move. She kept telling herself to fire, but her body refused to listen.

Gin noticed this but was still too exhausted from her previous attack to speak. Mao also noticed, but didn't see any significance to the moment other than that it gave him an ideal chance to attack. So, he extended his hand outwards, summoning dozens of beams of light, several of which pierced Salvatore's body. Clenching his fist, the beams began to move and vibrate, damaging almost all of her internal organs. Once the light vanished, she sank to her knees, just as Gin forced himself to his. Both had enough strength to avoid collapsing but not enough to get back to their feet or even speak. So instead they simply stared at each other, conflicting emotions reflecting in both pairs of eyes.

Meanwhile, Shinji and the katana wielding warrior were still fighting with all the strengh they had. The Persona user spent most of his time defending, but launched a few attacks of his own. Kirijo watched all this as Damia worked on healing his back. Surely there must be something he could do, but all his attempts to do so had failed so far. Then he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was a sword, one with a single edge and a straight blade. One ofthe Samurai must have dropped it in battle.

He reached out and grabbed it. Swordsmanship wasn't one of his greatest skills. He had practiced with Mitsuru a few times, but not only had she completely outshined him but that was for fencing, a kind of swordplay best used with light, thin swords designed for stabbing, which didn't match any description of the blade he was now holding.

Still, he needed to do something, if not for Shinji than for himself. He was tired of sitting on the sidelines of battle while others risked their lives. So, holding the sword in his right hand, his pistol in his left and with the power of his Persona giving him newfound strength, he entered the fray. He had no intention of fighting fair, as proven when he stabbed the mystery swordsman in the back of the leg before shooting him in the side of the head when he tried to turn.

The surprise attack staggered the man, as he attempted to remove the bullet from his head. Shinjiro was surprised to see his older companion getting so close to the centre of the battle, but didn't complain. Instead, he saw an enemy who could barely stand right now and at least two people both capable and willing to beat him into submission. Kirijo noticed too. "Shall we end this?"

"Let's do it!" The beating that followed that command was swift and brutal. Kirijo charged first, firing rapidly to keep their target dazed until they both reached him. As soon as they did, they each performed a diagonal slash on him, leaving an x shaped cut on his chest. They then both cut him one more time along the gut before Shinji gave him a metal uppercut that sent him flying to the ground.

With Salvatore struggling to breath and the mystery swordsman barely being able to see, the most dangerous members of the Seniors forces had been bested. The rest had also been bested, some with greater difficulty than others. Regardless, the group had prevailed with everyone emerging in a stable condition. Seeing his enemies bested, Mao couldn't help but laugh. "Hahahahaha! See my furious power? An overflowing surge of evil energy! The legendary Diez Gentlemen are nothing to fear! Now, there are no enemies that can stand in my way! This is indeed my true power! My long history of tough battles means nothing! For this was my first serious battle!"

Almaz, who had been listening to his friends ranting, let out a tired sigh. "Wow, he's completely narcissistic."

It was at this point that Mao expected Beryl to start giving him one ofher friendship speeches, but for once he was wrong. Instead she was trying to help Gin to his feet as Salvatore glared at her. The Senior's gaze was interrupted though by Mao pushing his face as close to hers as possible. "Where's your leader? I beat you, so I demand to see him."

Salvatore was still trying to catch her breath, so answering was impossible. Mao didn't let her lack of an answer affect his mood though, as he shouted to the sky. "Where are you hiding!? Show yourself, immediately!"

What came next was a surprise to everyone, both friend and foe. Strangely, Mao's buttler Geoffrey appeared in front of his master. "... Did you call for me, Young Master?"

Mao was the least surprised at his arrival. "Ah, Geoffrey, excellent. Your timing is perfect and most suspicious. Can you bring out the Senior Class Leader, as usual?"

"Hmhmhm, I thought this might happen, so I came prepared." He said in his polite, refined voice.

"Good. That's how it should be."

"It's been worth those long years of raising, grooming..." Geoffrey said, almost as if he'd ignored what Mao had said completely. Sapphire voiced the question on everyones minds.

"Huh, what is he talking about?" Still Geoffrey kept speaking as if no one else was even there.

"Hmhmhm. Thinking back, it took so long, I was so patient... I miscalculated so, so many times, yet... here we are." Now Mao was starting to get suspicious.

"... What's wrong? Enough of this talk, just bring me the leader. I'm tired of waiting."

"You're tired of waiting!?" Geoffrey snapped before quickly regaining his composure. "But I'm glad...I'm so glad you've grown this much..."

A loud groan echoed through the room as the man in black struggled to his feet. Geoffrey seemed to notice him and turned in his direction. "Ghost. Cease your efforts for now. That nuisance canbe dispatched later."

The man, now identified as Ghost, gave a small bow to the older man, gave a quick glare at the two Persona users, and then ran off faster than someone with as many injuries as him should logically run. If all eyes weren't on Geoffrey before, they were now.

As everyone watched, a bright light appeared around Geoffrey, and his body seemed to burn away to reveal a completely different man. This one was much younger with wild, somewhat curled hair and no beard. He was adorned in orange robes with gold trim and his face seemed locked in a cold glare. "Mao, I am the Senior Class Leader!"

Everyone except Shinjiro and Kirijo recoiled at this, while the two of them were left in complete confusion. Judging by the reaction, this man was someone they all recognized.

_"What the hell is going on!?"_

* * *

In a cold white room, two men sat across from each other with a chessboard inbetween them. Each was dressed in the colour of their pieces. The white suited blond man chose to move one of his pawns forward a space, surprising the black suited, white haired man. "That doesn't seem like a very smart decision if you ask me."

"How so?" The man in white said, his confident grin remaining consistent. Leaning forward, the man in black began running his finger along the crown of his queen as he spoke.

"Well, now the pawn is under attack from several directions. The king might execute him or perhaps one of the knights is feeling brave. But of course, you and I both know that the bishop is the most likely to cast him to Hell." Only when he finished speaking did he lean back again, grabbing his hat from a nearby table, putting it on so it covered his eyes. "Still, best to think and see what happens. After all, the games far from over."

"Speaking of games, why didn't you tell the others where Achlys is?"

"If I did, they'd go looking for her and try to awaken her too early. And that just won't do."

"They are an inpatient lot, I will confess. But they are strong, and that will aid us."

"I know. Besides, it's fun to watch children pretend to be adults. And if nothing else, I expect a good show." With his piece said, the man in black rose from his seat. "Still, the time of her awakening is approaching. Your patience will soon be rewarded."

"Indeed. Soon... Our time will come." responded the man in white. "I have much to attend to, as do you. We can continue our game when it's done."

The man in black tipped his hat to his compatriot and gave an overly dramatic bow before leaving the other man to his plots.


	42. Side Chapter A2 - Directionless Force

**Side Chapter A2 - Directionless Force**

* * *

On the outskirts of the academy, two men wandered, one talking every step of the way. The other...

 _"Does this guy ever shut up?"_ Agnus thought to himself, trying to block out his new companions constant talking. Right now the blonde boy calling himself Gabe was thanking him for what felt like the hundredth time. It was getting a little annoying. Still, the boy had insisted on following him, so he had no choice to listen. He couldn't even ask him to stop, since that would just cause him to start obsessively apologizing.

Again.

 _"It'll just be for a little longer..."_ He reassured himself. Despite that thought, he couldn't help but feel like this hallway never ended. Maybe it didn't. Maybe it was a perfect circle and he'd just walk through it for all eternity, listening to Gabe talk forever.

... He was taking the next left and no one was stopping him.

However, that proved unnecessary, as just a few steps ahead the hall opened out into a large outdoor area, one he wasted no time running too. It was a bridge between two of the academy's buildings. It was wide but short, so it would only be a few steps before he was in the other building. There he could leave his increasingly annoying companion somewhere safe and continue looking for strong opponents. Speaking of the other man, he could hear him running to catch up to him before getting his feet caught in his robe and tripping, making painful acquaintances with the ground. The other man could only sigh as he walked back to drag the blonde to his feet.

It was while he did this he noticed something he hadn't seen before. Coming out of Gabe's back were two small, white feathered wings. Those were strange things for a Demon to have, he thought, not fully realising the implications of this yet.

"What's with your wings?" He asked, figuring he may as well get to the point. The younger boy stared at him in wide eyed confusion, tilting his head slightly at the question.

"We all have those." He said, his tone implying he didn't really understand the question.

"Then how come I don't have them? And how come I've never seen anyone else with 'em?" Agnus replied, not really believing Gabe's answer. Again his companion seemed confused by the questions.

"Well, you're a Demon, so it makes sense you wouldn't have them." Now it was Agnus' turn to be confused.

"Wait. So you're not a Demon?"

"Why do you think I'm a Demon? Do I look like one?" Gabe sounded almost like he was panicking as he rattled off questions quickly. Agnus held up his hands to signal for the blonde to stop and breath. After he did so, Agnus continued his questioning.

"If you're not a Demon, what are you?"

The words Gabe said next surprised him in more ways than one. "I'm an Angel."

In hindsight this revelation shouldn't have been that surprising. The wings, the outfit, the bright hair, the proficiency in healing magic, the attitude, it all pointed to him being an Angel. In fact Agnus was wondering how he'd missed it for this long. Then again he had been trying his best to ignore Gabe and focus on his self imposed mission, so it made sense that he'd miss certain details.

Then again he should have noticed it before, because this meant that he'd missed that he'd been travelling with an Angel, the natural enemies of Demons everywhere. To say that raised conflicting emotions in him was an understatement.

Meanwhile, Gabe was wondering why what he'd said had caused Agnus to freeze in place like a statue. Was it some sort of game? If it was, why did Agnus feel the need to play now without even explaining the rules?

Their respective thoughts were interrupted by a loud noise above them, similar to the sound a plane would make if it's engines stopped in midair and it began hurtling to the ground. Looking up, they saw not a plane, but an entire building pass over head, gradually descending as it did. It was clear it was going to crash, but thankfully it would be far from their current location. Several small dots could be seen flying away from the building, presumably people who wanted to get out before it made impact.

They couldn't marvel for long though, as just a few seconds later, four arrows drove themselves into the ground next to the two men. Each arrow had a rope tied to it that led all the way back to the crashing building (How they had rope that long was anyones guess). Mere moments later, figures could be seen using the ropes as zip lines to reach the bridge. There were three Heavy Knights holding spears, who frankly were lucky that the ropes didn't snap under their weight, followed by four female Archers, currently using their bows to glide down the ropes. Finally there were three Geo blocks latched onto the ropes, one red, one blue and one green.

As soon as all the people and blocks were off the ropes, the lead Knight cut through said ropes with his Bisento, allowing the Archers to retrieve their arrows. The two watched these mysterious men work in silence. Or at least that's what Agnus wanted to do. Gabe had other plans.

"Hello there!" He said, greeting them in as polite a voice as possible and loud enough that it was impossible for them to not hear him. Sure enough, they all turned to the onlookers, staring at them in a judging way. After a few moments of this, the lead Knight turned to the Archers and nodded. Less than a second later, all four of them had arrows drawn, prepared and pointed at the Demon and Angel duo. Gabe wasted no time raising his hands in a way that showed he meant no harm and was quite scared, while Agnus instantly entered a combat pose, almost daring them to shoot him. He withheld from grabbing his weapon though, figuring they'd shoot him before he could.

Casually, the Knight approached, his spear still resting in his hand. He looped around the nervous Gabe before turning towards Agnus. "Now what's a Freshman like you doing walking around with an Angel? Seems a bit suspicious if you ask me. Am I right?"

His fellow Knights, each wearing darker armour than him and holding less impressive spears, both nodded but refrained from speaking. The Archers meanwhile did speak, and all in unison, "Yes. Very suspicious sir."

The monotone voice and simultaneous speech was enough to creep out both men. Something about it just wasn't natural. The Knight seemed unfazed however and kept talking. "Since Angels and Delinquents are basically the same thing, I think keeping one around might be a good idea. Think about all the stuff we could learn."

The other Knights laughed at this. Their laughter mixed with the tone that their leader used made Gabe feel like it wasn't a friendly laughter. While he started sweating and worrying, the leader moved right into Agnus' face. "How about you? You a Delinquent, or are we gonna have to open your mind?"

Agnus stayed silent for a moment, making it look like he was thinking about his answer. In reality, he was thinking about how to escape. Pretty much everything he could do would result in him getting run through by the Knights or shot by the Archers.

Unless...

"Well, I do love to break rules. But..." Acting quickly, he raised his arm and slammed his elbow into the Knight's forehead, staggering him. As he did so, the same arm grabbed his spear from across his back and pulled it free, before he kicked the Knight into his other armoured subordinates. Not wasting a second, he dived into Gabe, knocking him to the floor before either could be filled with arrows. Using the momentum of his dive, he landed on his hands and summersaulted back onto his feet, spinning in midair so he was facing his enemies again. "I'd much rather break all your faces!"

The lead Knight laughed a little as he righted himself. "So you've got some fight left in you. I like that. Taking people who fight and breaking them anyway is so much more fun. Just ask these four."

He gestured to the Archers, who didn't react at all to the comment. That explained their creepy nature. These guys must have been Seniors who'd hypnotized the Archers into doing their bidding. That was something that even the worst part of Agnus felt disgusted by. Apparently Gabe agreed, as he rose to his feet, bow in hand. "You're controlling them? Forcing them to do something they don't want to? That's just... wrong!"

"We're Demons. 'Wrong' is our right." The Knight said, remorse non existent in his tone. Gabe was shaking with sadness at what he was seeing and looked like he was trying and failing to find words to describe how sick he felt. Since it didn't look like he wouldn't find those words for a little while, the Knight turned his focus to Agnus again. "Are you gonna judge us too? Has hanging out with an Angel turned you 'good'?"

Agnus turned to Gabe at this. True, he was an Angel and he felt weird knowing one, but their thoughts on this were the same. Plus, he'd been healed by Gabe while the Seniors did nothing but hurt him. Without further hesitation, he turned back to his enemies.

"I'd rather side with him than you anyday!" With that said, he spun his spear and entered his battle stance. "Gabe! Keep those Archers off me! I'll deal with the Knights!"

"But..."

"There's nothing we can do for them right now! Knock them out and we can help them later! We can't do that if they kill us!" Gabe flinched at Agnus' words, but ultimately nodded. This went against everything he believed, but if he wanted to help them, he needed to hurt them. He wasn't sure how he'd live with himself, but he had no choice. As he prepared his bow, Agnus ran past, just fast enough to avoid the subsequent arrows fired at him. The first Knight ran at him as fast as his bulky armour would allow, lunging with his spear. It took only a second for the younger Demon to duck the attack and kick the weapon in just the right way to break it. With the Knight disarmed, nothing stopped Agnus from driving his own spear into the side of the man's head. The Demon was strong enough to survive the attack, but the damage to his head was enough to send him to the ground, unconscious. Agnus stood over the defeated man and looked at the remaining two enemies. "Who's next?"

As Agnus taunted the Seniors, Gabe was desperately trying not to get hit by arrows coming fom four different sources while trying to find an ideal moment to fire back on them. This was proving difficult, and since he couldn't stop to aim, most of his shots missed their intended target. If anything he was spending more time healing himself than he was actually attacking. He knew he needed to stop these Archers, but he was starting to doubt he could.

Meanwhile, the lead Knight watched as his subordinate tried and failed to defeat the young spearman in front of him. In fact, Agnus had started smacking the mans head with both ends of his spear in rapid succession. The target quickly collapsed. "Perhaps I was too quick to judge. Very well. No more holding back!"

When he finished speaking, he pressed the end of his spear into the ground, creating a bright light. When it faded, various Geo panels had appeared around the area. The Knight was currently standing on a green panel, while Agnus himself was on a red panel. He could feel that the panel was boosting his physical strength and would make his attacks hit harder than would normally be possible for him. He couldn't tell what the green panels did, or the blue ones that were scattered throughout as well. Still, he couldn't afford to miss this chance and dived forward to impale the Knight.

He wasn't expecting the heavily armoured, bulky Knight to leap a good ten feet away from his attack, but that didn't change the fact that it happened and that he found his attack hitting an empty space. He stopped in surprise for a moment, trying to figure out how the Knight could move so far so fast. He got his answer when he set foot on the green panel his foe had been standing on mere moments ago. He could feel its energy flowing into him, giving him enhanced speed. Looking around, there were a lot of these green panels and, unsurprisingly, his enemy had made sure to land on one. So, even if he did attack again, he'd likely miss. This fight just became a lot harder.

Gabe was also feeling the effects of the Geo panels, though he was quickly able to make use of them. while his opponents had all received a boost in their attack strength, he had landed on a green panel and was using them to make dodging easier. It didn't matter how strong these Archers were if they couldn't hit him. Unfortunately, his faster movement made it even harder to hit anything, meaning that this was at best a temporary solution.

The possibility that he was wasting his time had crossed his mind. After all, he was a healer, not a fighter. That thought however was quickly forgotten, as he reminded himself that as long as he distracted them, Agnus could do something useful without distractions. He still didn't like the idea of attacking them, but by assuring himself that it was for the benefit of them and Agnus, it became bearable.

Across the room, Agnus was attempting to hit the leader of the enemy forces, but these Geo panels made it impossible. Every attack resulted in his enemy dodging to the side before it could connect. Agnus was fast enough to avoid getting hurt as well, but this meant that the two were in a stalemate, waiting for the other to make a mistake.

That mistake happened when Agnus, in an attempt to dodge an attack, felt his back slam into something, halting him in place. The Knight noticed this momentary pause and knew that the battle was his. To ensure this, he lunged forward, spear pointed at Agnus' skull.

The only warning he got of his mistake was Agnus' grin. Before he could react, Agnus jumped clean over him, leaving him to stab the wall that had been behind him. Or at least, in his hurry he had assumed it was. Instead, hehad just sunk his weapon into the green Geo block, the very same one that he'd be making use of for the whole battle. And as it crumbled away in front of him, the realization that he'd have to fight a much faster opponent without the Geo block to put them on even ground was written clearly across his face.

Gabe would have appreciated some warning before the thing he'd been using to stay alive was destroyed. Because of that, he took an arrow straight into his stomach. He slid to a stop on a blue panel, and for a second he was worried that now he'd be defenceless and let Agnus down. But when that second passed, he noticed that he felt stronger, not in terms of physical strength, but in terms of endurance. He felt like he could endure the arrows now, at least for long enough to fight back.

With the Geo panels magic flowing into him, he stood and prepared an arrow. He knew he only had one shot before they'd subdue him, so he needed to make it count. So, he channelled what little strength he had left, praying to God the whole time. As he did, his arrow began to glow with a brilliant bright light. Eventually it became so bright that you couldn't even see the arrow, provided it was still there. And just as he finished his prayer, he released the arrow, sending it flying past the Archers at unbelievable speeds, before landing in the ground in between them. A mere moment later, it exploded in holy light, engulfing all four in a magnificent white explosion. Looking upon it, he quietly whispered, "I'm sorry..."

His battle wasn't the only one that was over. While he hadn't finished the Knight yet, it was obvious to both men that he would be the victor. Every attack against him would be blocked and countered with ease. It looked like Agnus wasn't even trying, and frankly he could afford to hold back if this was the best his opponent could do. Still, he needed to finish this and get back to important matters.

So, he blocked one final attack before slamming the back end of his spear into his enemies ear. It began ringing instantly, and he'd be lucky if he ever heard anything out of it again. While he was distracted by this, Agnus kicked his hand, causing him to drop his spear, which the red haired Demon caught with his foot before it hit the ground. He then raised his foot high enough to send it back into the air, before catching it with his free hand. With bot spears in hand, he began a relentless assault, hitting the Knight in any way he could. Head, legs, arms, chest, all were hit with blades and blunt poles until his armour cracked and his flesh bled. Then, deciding to put an end to this once and for all, he pulled his arms back and shoved both blades straight through the Seniors chest.

And to further proe his victory, he let his opponent with these words, "Any Demon who can't fight with their own strength is no Demon. And they will never stand a chance against me."

With that said, he kicked the Knight off his blades, leaving him to slump against the bridges guardrail. Opponent bested, Agnus turned to see if Gabe was ok. He saw that the boy had somehow beaten the four Archers, though their steady breathing proved he'd been able to avoid killing them. Still, he looked incredibly depressed by what he'd had to do. He didn't really have the words to comfort him, given the two had completely different natures, so instead he just rested a reasuring hand on the boys shoulder.

"It doesn't matter." The Knight muttered behind them, blood pouring out of his mouth. "The Seniors will still win."

With a look of exasperation, Agnus turned back to the bleeding man. "Really? Well, guess I'll have to do something about that, now won't I?"

The Knight silently glared at him for a moment, before his eyes widened for a brief moment. "Wait! You...! Why do you look so much like that green haired bitch?!"

Now Agnus was confused. There was someone who looked like him? But with green hair? That was impossible. The Knight must have been delusional from blood loss.

Unless...

No...

It couldn't be...

Could it?

Without a word, he pinned both spears through the man's shoulders, lifting him from the ground as he did. "Who do you mean? Answer me!"

Despite the agonizing pain, the armoured man squeezed out an answer. "A girl we captured a few days ago... She was the only one our methods couldn't break..."

"And where is she now?"

"We... we sent her to our chief hypnotist... Gold Knuckle..." Unpleasant memories of the Senior he'd already fought returned to Agnus. He hadn't seen anyone who matched this description during the fight, so he could only assume that she had just been sent to him.

"Where can I find him?" The anger in his voice and the fact he never shouted made him terrifying to both the Knight and Gabe.

"The lava filled wing of the school...! Please just stop...!" With his questions answered, Agnus finally stopped his torture of the Senior, throwing him to the ground.

"Grab whatever you can use from them." He said to Gabe, slinging both spears across his back. Gabe thought best not to argue with him, and quickly grabbed the most intact bow and every arrow he could find. As soon as he was done, Agnus beckoned for them to leave.

If this person was who he thought she was, then he needed to hurry. People were trying to hurt her after all.

And God help anyone who tried to stop him.


	43. Chapter 40 - The Path Of Anger

**Chapter 40 - The Path Of Anger**

* * *

Laying in the bed at the nurses office had been necessary for Shinjiro's sore back. He'd only realized how tense it was after they'd escaped from the collapsing Senior classrooms. He clearly remembered what had transpired in those halls, and the new enemy that had revealed itself to him.

* * *

_All stood completely still as they stared at this enemy. Most had their faces locked in expressions of shock and confusion, though whether it was because the man before them was someone they recognized or because of who he had been just a few seconds ago, no one could tell. Even Salvatore looked shocked, implying that this was a secret to her as well. He briefly glanced at her, observing her injuries, before looking away, apparently deciding that she wasn't worth his time.._

_"Mrrr...!" Mao finally breathed out before speaking in a voice of confusion and, if Shinji didn't know any better, pain. "You are... the Super Hero!"_

_Super Hero? The man certainly didn't look like any super hero that the Persona user had heard of. His robes made him look more like a man who was either linked to royalty or was some sort of wizard. Still, it was the only name he had for the foe before them, so he thought he may as well use it._

_In response to Mao's question, the Super Hero laughed. "Hahaha... It's been a long while, old friend."_

_He spoke with a strong voice, but also one that made his words sound anything but friendly. Mao obviously shared that opinion. "What friend!? Don't you mess with me!"_

_"Do you hate me? Are you frustrated? Do you want to kill me? Then be angry! Begrudge me! Curse me!" He responded, growing more passionate with every word. Shinji dared to glance around in the hopes that someone knew what was going on. Alas, everyone seemed as confused as him, with the exception of Almaz who looked like everything inside him had just stopped and all he could do was stare ahead._

_"...Heh... hehehehe! You're trying to provoke me?" Mao said with a smile. he was too far away to tell if it was genuine or forced. "As you wish, I'll fix up your body and turn you into a life-sized figurine!"_

_"Ah well... I'm going to have to pass on that one. It's not 'the time' yet." He said calmly, his previous passion suddenly gone and his voice now sounding more bored than anything. "The finishing touches still need to be made. Right now, you won't even be able to cut strand of my hair."_

_As soon as he finished speaking, everything moved. One side of the room began to tip and objects and people began falling down the newly slanted floor. All who didn't at the very least stumbled and struggled to hold on. Only the Super Hero didn't move. "I look forward to the next time we meet... I'll be waiting."_

_And before anyone could stop him, he vanished. Mao lunged at him a moment too late. "Wait, Super Hero!"_

_His allies grabbed him as he still tried to reach where his enemy had once been, desperately trying to get him out before the Senior classrooms fell out of the air. While he struggled to escape their grasp, he yelled at the empty space where the Hero once stood. "I'll never forgive you!"_

_Escaping was all that filled Shinjiro's mind now. He briefly glanced Gin grabbing Salvatore for some reason, and Aki pulling Masaru to his feet, but these thoughts were quickly pushed aside. Hastily grabbing Kirijo's hand and pulling him upright, he began running, following behind Samantha, Saiduq and Damia, who had already had the same idea as him._

_He could only hope that the others followed him and got out before the worst happened._

* * *

He vaguely remembered seeing the Seniors frantically escape their crashing base. Some flew out, others chose to teleport, while some simply ran or dived out, hoping for the best. He even saw some Archers and Heavy Knights use zip-lines to disappear into the vast reaches of the buildings below. It was of little concern to him however. All that mattered was that he and his allies made it through the Dimension Gate. Thankfully, they all did and together they watched as the classrooms they had been in for far too long crashed somewhere beyond the main campus of the Academy.

While he breathed a sigh of relief, Mao stormed back to his room, not a word leaving his lips as he did. He briefly considered following him, but thought better of it, seeing that the Demon probably wouldn't appreciate his company right now. Also his back was starting to protest from all the work he'd been doing and demanded that he find somewhere to lay down. The others didn't object to the chance to relax for a little and separated.

And that led to this moment of time, with him lying on this bed with just his thoughts. He had hoped that a moment alone would help him understand what was going on. Instead of answering the questions he was currently struggling with, it brought forth a new one that silenced them all.

Why was he getting involved?

He had known his mission for days now. All he had to do was fight the Overlord and make him open the gate. He didn't need to help Evil Academy against this supposed Super Hero. He didn't need to follow Mao around in the hopes that he would lead him the right way. So why was he?

It was true that he didn't want something terrible to happen to this world, but if he didn't hurry, something even worse could happen to his own. Could he put the lives of strangers above the people he cared for the most? Could he fight to save Demons, beings that Humans were taught to fear, instead of the closest thing he had to a family?

He knew this wouldn't get him anywhere. Ultimately, he'd still help them because he felt they'd help him in return. He knew he'd need their help if he wanted to beat the Overlord.

But he still wished that the fighting would be over soon.

The sound of the door opening disturbed him from his thoughts. Opening his eyes, he had expected numerous people for various reasons. None of them were the person who actually walked into the room. Or rather, the person who floated into the room.

"Do you ever walk, or are your feet just for show?" He said snarkily. Damia smirked at this, before stretching one of her legs across his bed.

"Why don't you tell me." She responded, using the same seductive tone of voice she always did. Part of him wondered if she could say anything and not sound like that. Then he remembered that he didn't really care.

"Tch. Unless you have something important to say, go away." Turning away from her, he made it clear that he didn't want to talk to her right now. Sadly, she was not going to accept this and instead climbed into the bed behind him, making sure to press herself against his back. He sighed in annoyance at this as she wrapped her arm around him. "I won't tell you again. Out."

He could only assume that she pouted at this. "Aww, but that's no fun. And watching you fight made me want to have lots of fun."

Choosing not to answer, Shinji decided to stand up and walk over to the door. Opening it, he pointed through the doorframe, wordlessly telling her to leave. Damia made a disappointed sound, but got off the bed and floated towards him. Stopping in front of him, she looked at him with an almost shy expression. "I really owe you, ya know."

He stared at her in confusion for a moment. Was she actually being serious for once?

"I mean, who knows what they would have done to me if you hadn't let me go. So, I gotta repay my debt." Even her usual seductive tone of voice was gone and she sounded strangely sincere. "And I always pay people back."

And before he could react, she'd grabbed his left hand and prssed it against her breast, squeezing his fingers once it made contact. For a second he froze in shock and embarrassment. The next second he physically threw her out of his room, slightly annoyed that her wings stopped her from hitting the floor. All her previous seriousness vanished as she laughed. And that was the last he heard before he slammed the door. He could never afford to let his guard down around her.

"Do you have to cop a feel of every girl in our team? Is it some sort of leader privilege?" He spun around in shock at the source of the voice. Sitting in a chair in the shadows was the familiar face of Masaru, who looked as bored as usual despite his mocking question.

"How long have you been there?" Shinjiro asked, clearly confused. Masaru put his hand to his chin in mock consideration, before snapping his finger, pretending to have remembered.

"It was around the time you squeezed her boob." He said. The sentence sounded strange when he said it in such a thick monotone. If anything though, that just made it all the more embarrassing for the brunette, as he hastily tried to explain.

"S-she grabbed my hand! I let go as soon as I realized what she was doing!" He sputtered out, avoiding eye contact.

"You really need to come up with better excuses for this kinda thing." The swordsman responded, not even bothering to look at his leader. "I don't care either way. What I do care about is my sword."

Mildly surprised and deeply thankful for the change of subject, Shinji picked up the sword that Masaru loaned him and drew it from its scabbard. After confirming that it was still in one piece, Masaru grabbed it and rested it against the bed. He then pulled out a new sword.

Unlike the katana that he'd previously given Shinjiro, this sword was long and straight. It seemed to match the design of a western longsword. The cross guard was wide, which in theory would help keep his hands safe. Sensing that Masaru wanted him to grab it, he did so and tried to get a feel for the weight of it. He noticed it felt lighter than the katana, even with its sheath still on. Holding the hilt of the blade, he noticed a large pommel at the end. This might prevent the blade from slipping from his grip if he tried to hold it with his right hand. Still, that wasn't something he wanted to test unless he had to.

As he examined his new blade, the black clad Ronin picked up the katana and clipped it back on to his waist. "Don't expect me to loan you either of these again."

His tone had a blutness to it that clearly showed that he wouldn't change his mind. Shinji didn't know why those swords were so important to him, but given how close he came to killing Raiga after he broke one, he must have had a pretty good reason.

"Well, I expect that you'll want to go grope some other girl." Masaru calmly stated, immediately snapping Shinjiro out of his thoughts and bringing redness back to his face. With is leader fully embarrassed, the dark haired demon moved to leave.

"Wait." Shinji said, stopping the other man in his tracks.

"If you're going to beg me to keep your secret about Damia, don't worry."

"That's not it. I wanted to ask you something." The fact that Masaru turned to face him implied he was willing to listen. "That man, the so called Super Hero. I want to know everything you know about him."

* * *

He watched the card float into his hand again. Ever since he had recieved his Persona, he was fascinated by it and the card that summoned it. Observing the image on the card, as well as the number printed on it, he deduced that his Persona was of the Emperor Arcana. If he remembered correctly, that Arcana was associated with leadership and fatherhood, amongst other things.

He bitterly laughed at the idea. He was neither of these things. He had failed as a leader, taking a back seat as the world was at risk. And as father he had done even worse, sending his daughter into the front-line of the war between humans and monsters, robbing her of a normal life in the process. What right did he have to call himself either?

Still, these thoughts were, if anything, welcome in Kirijo's mind. As long as he remembered these thoughts, he could work to make up for it. He could keep fighting in the hopes of atoning for his failures.

Speaking of which, there was something else he needed to fix, something he may need to address more quickly than his other sins.

His ignorance over the experiments was both truth and a lie at the same time. He knew nothing about what his own scientists were doing, or if they even still worked for him while performing these monstrous acts. Still, to say he didn't suspect that his fathers crimes continued to this day was a lie. He had numerous suspicions that some unsavoury experiments were still carried out by people his father trusted, people that weren't assigned to the study of Shadows and therefore survived the explosion that claimed the former Kirijo leader's life. But he had failed to find them and began to assume that he had been wrong.

And now, as he was faced with proof that he had failed, he knew that he had been wrong. And it was time to make up for it.

But until the time where he can look at her and honestly try to fix the damage he had failed to stop, he would think. About the new information he had learned on the nature of Shadows and Persona, and how they were tied together. How Shadows lived in the hearts of man, and how they could turn into the strength of a Persona. How a Persona could be summoned without an Evoker.

He would need to look for answers to these questions when he returned to the world, but not before he made amends to his daughter.

* * *

She watched him staring at the card. Part of her considered attacking him, not lethally, but enough to remind him that he had a long way to go before she would ever forgive him. Ultimately, she decided not to. If she did, she would either badly injure someone who they needed in fighting shape for the inevitable future battles or accidentally kill someone that she knew was trying to honestly atone.

Then again, what did it matter to her? She would probably be dead in about a day anywhere.

Without her pills, Medea would turn on her, and when that happened, nothing would be able to save her. That realization caused new thoughts to dawn in her mind. First, if she died once and awoke somewhere else, would the same happen again? She hoped that would be the case, so that even if she failed, she might one day be reunited with Junpei anyway.

Second, if the members of SEES and now the older man sitting in her line of sight could control their Personas naturally, why couldn't she? Was it because hers wasn't awakened naturally and theirs were? And if that was the case, why did some need Evokers while Shinjiro and Kirijo didn't? Thinking about this one was pointless. She didn't have scientific knowledge of Shadows or Personas, so any theories she came up with would almost certainly be flawed.

And finally, would her contribution matter? She would die, possibly before they even reached the portal home. So why bother? She would just slow them down.

Then again, even if she did choose to simply wait for Medea to come and claim her life, Shinjiro had made it clear that he wasn't leaving her alone. It wasn't unreasonable, after all she was once his enemy. She wouldn't have wanted to leave her alone either.

So, was her fate to die surrounded by strangers, having achieved no atonement? Would her second chance be a waist of time, merely a speck of light to be consumed by darkness when she approached it? Why was she still alive?

These thoughts would get her nowhere. Whether she died or not, she had to go with her new allies. She didn't have a choice. All she should focus on now is getting a chain to attach her axe to her wrist. If nothing else, at least then she would use a weapon she was familiar with.

At least then, her last battle might end in a victory for someone who deserves to live.

* * *

The classroom was silent. Even though the man sitting in it was barely containing his rage, he barely made a noise. He had sent Juro to get something for them to eat, but both knew it was an excuse to get some time alone.

Why?

Why did they have to accept one of THEM into this group?

He had difficulty working with Monsters of any kind, but a Succubus was a different story all together. He HATED all Succubi. Didn't matter if they were as pretty as everyone else says or how nice pretend to be. He'd seen the true face of a Succubus and it was ugly. Getting involved with them was just asking for trouble.

And asking him to get along with one was impossible. Dai would never accept a single Succubus as long as he lived.

So where did that leave him? He couldn't stay. He'd inevitably try and kill her, and the others would turn on him if he did. But he didn't want to abandon the others either. He couldn't just leave them to fight an extremely dangerous enemy because of one person. So what was he to do?

He reached his answer around the time Juro returned. "I've made up my mind."

"Huh?" Juro answered, not knowing what Dai meant when he said that.

"I... need to go my own way. Fight these enemies on a separate front to everyone else."

"Are you crazy?!" Was the immediate response. Juro clearly doubted the logic of that plan. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"And what'll happen if I stay, man?! What'll happen when I lose control and put my axe in that goddamn Succubus' head?!" He yelled, all his anger pouring out. A moment later he tried to calm himself down. "I know that the others want to keep her around, trust her even. But if I try to make them see its impossible, I just know they're gonna turn on me. We can't risk that..."

Juro was silent for a minute. He couldn't argue with Dai. He knew that Dai's past experiences were horrible, but they were blinding him to the truth, filling him with rage. He couldn't tell the others without breaking his promise to keep it a secret. But he couldn't tell Dai to move past his hate, because he knew that the scars were too deep for a few words to heal them.

These wounds needed a lot of time and a lot of support. "Alright... We'll tell Shinjiro about our plan, grab some stuff then head on our way."

"Oh no! You are NOT coming with me!"

"No offense Dai, but you can't stop me. Where you go, I go. Someone has to watch your back." The two stared each other down at this, neither looking away or showing weakness to the other. After a few seconds though, they both smiled and pulled each other into a brotherly hug, laughing as they did.

"Well, if anyones gonna watch my back, it may as well be my best buddy!" Dai said, pulling away with a smile on his face. Juro patted him on the shoulder in response. Together the two left, silently deciding that they would tell Shinji together.

Deep down, they both knew this was probably the wrong choice. But for now, it was probably the only thing they could do.

* * *

He was breathing deeply, as if he was afraid his lungs would fail if he did anything less. His encounter with the girl in pink, and the subsequent chase between the two that came as a result was the closest he had come to death in several years.

But that was of no concern to Terre. He knew that his life meant very little, so the concept of dying held no fear for him. What had bothered him though had been the face of his attacker. A face so different yet so familiar. He knew her all too well. To see her so engulfed in madness and hatred caused his entire body to ache with despair.

And he knew that when she blamed him, she was right.

All of what she had become could be traced back to him. Maybe he should not have moved when her fingers were around his neck. Perhaps he should have just accepted his punishment.

Those thoughts soon left him. Regardless of his feelings, he needed to report back to his boss about what had happend in the Senior classrooms, even if he had run before he could witness the remaining events. Having failed his mission and seen what he had created, Terre felt he had but one choice left.

And so, without a word or any hesitation, he strode towards the Dimension Gate in front of him. He knew where to go.

He knew where she would find him.

* * *

"And thats all I know about him." Masaru finished, having just explained about the Super Hero to Shinjiro. Thanks to the explanation, he know knew that the hero, whose name he had learned was Aurum, was famous for slaying Overlords and was apparently famous in the Human World. This immediately raised two questions in his mind. The less important question he thought of was how he had never heard of this Aurum and his deeds. Then again he didn't know that Demons were real but other Humans apparently did, so he could just count it as something to figure out later.

The more important question was what the Super Hero was doing leading the Seniors. Was it part of some strategy to attack the Overlord? Why go to all this trouble with the mass hypnotism of the students? It just didn't make sense.

"Can I go now?" Said the voice of the other man, his body language implying he was tired of standing around a hospital room. It successfully snapped him out of his thoughts and he gave Masaru a gesture to imply he was allowed to leave, giving one last order as he did.

"Meet me by the statue in an hour. If you see anyone else, tell them the same." Masaru made no effort to acknowledge that statement, but it was impossible for him to have not heard it, so Shinjiro assumed that he would listen. With that much time for him to prepare, he sat down in a nearby chair, determined to get some rest before the next extremely dangerous part of his journey began.

After a few moments of rest, he heard a knock on his door. It wasn't long before Dai and Juro entered, both wearing serious expressions. he breathed a deep sigh before addressing them. "This is about Damia isn't it?"

Dai clenched his fists at her name and Juro noticeably flinched. Still, neither contradicted him, so he could only assume he was right. After a few deep breaths, Dai spoke up. "I know that I can't convince you to get rid of her. I also know that if I stay, I will kill her. So... me and Juro have decided to continue the fight in our own way. By ourselves."

He had hoped that wouldn't be the case, but he suspected they were going to say that. His team was shrinking one person at a time and they were already struggling to get through each day. But even if he could convince the two to stay, Dai killing Damia in a blind rage would cause more problems than it was worth. As reluctant as he was, he knew he had to let them leave. "... What will you do?"

"We've been talking about it." Juro stated, deciding that he should explain on Dai's behalf. "We think some students might have avoided brainwashing. If they did, we're gonna find 'em and make sure they know where to go when the fighting starts."

It was as good an idea as any. In fact, gathering more allies was probably the best thing they could do right now. With a sense of reluctance, he lowered his head and spoke in a quiet voice. "Just... make sure you're there when we need you..."

The two nodded, though he didn't see it, and silently left. Juro glanced back at his leader once more as he did, wishing that this separation could have been avoided, but knowing that it was impossible. So instead he turned away and made a silent vow that he would make this up to his friends someday. And with that thought, he was gone.

Shinjiro rubbed his face, the contrast of his warm palm and cold metal hand being painfully noticeable. How was he going to explain this to the others? Dai may have been hard to get along with, but most people liked Juro and no one could argue that the two were skilled warriors. It was a severe loss and one he had to find some way to compensate for it.

Before he could even begin to think of what his next move should be, the door opened again. He briefly wondered if he would get any peace today, as his fourth guest entered the room. This time, it was the familiar face of Almaz that greeted him, his face heavy with worry. "Let me guess... Bad news?"

With pain in his voice, Almaz answered. "Y-yeah. Mao's not taking the betrayal of his friend well... He's planning to... he's planning to..."

Shinjiro anxiously waited for Almaz to finish that sentence, but as soon as he did, he wished that he never heard them, for they made his heart feel like it had stopped.

"He's planning to destroy the Human World..."

* * *

_?_

It is seeking something around this Netherworld.

It is seeking something for itself.

Swaying as it walks, with nothing in its mind and all reason is lost.

It moves in silence, with nothing but a thirsty-sounding rasp.

Shivering and trembling.

"H#y, some %5*#3 I$ tR1p 99#ng 0& our area."

Someone approaches with whines.

"H#y, what $ * hell / you $UPpo7e 2p be?"

Demons approach it. Two more appear.

" 4u better b#G ready to 4yu M52cy 86$#&* we rip &8u 62 pieces."

"I rather B#&* 67e shit out ^6 it."

Death threats are thrown at it. It does not remember why it is here.

The creature doe not understand, so it should go.

"H#Y! T67 B s4^*d is running!"

"tCH! D04't l#4 it gET way!"

"We'll J6s5 CoR834 it 67 Kill it"

"I ^44 first D9bbs on 89ll/i5g it!"

The squeaking continues, the creature keeps going. Anywhere away from its pursuers.

Until...

It was cornered.

"/45/3$%^ 4Haha#453^$^!#$#ahaHahA5$ ^^%!# #aHAha$53!"

"AHa3#5$^ 5^$hAHaHahAHaAHa#5!"

"Ahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

"No where to run now. Any last words freak?"

They followed it. They cornered the thing - predators trapping the prey in a dead end.

Bu...

Who is the predator and who are the prey?

They echo loudly to the thing...

That its stomach growls.

"23434$#$^%^%%#$$#$%^%^%!?"

The area turned black - and the creature lashed out at the Demons.

"Hey #$ h#LL!? wH#2t Is 89 d0ing!?"

"A-Ah #$%$%%$^ do6'$ run, help # ehhhhh!"

One Demon dropped after another. The creature attacked the next and the next.

"Ha, ha, ha, W# t 9%$ yo-!"

"Gyaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"

"G-get W6y! I-I'm so#R6. I hiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?"

_The taste of Demons... It is of rust - like blood._

The screams died down, the black creature the only thing left with nothing than the sound of it's rasp disrupting the silence. The Demons lay still - neither dead nor alive.

Though eaten more than a King's feast. The creature is not satisfied, staring at the empty sky of the Netherworld.

_...Not enough. Need more..._

_More..._

_More..._

_More..._

_More..._

_More..._

_More..._

_More..._

_More..._

_More..._

_More..._

_More..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last scene of this chapter was written by a guest author, who requested to remain anonymous.


	44. Chapter 41 - A Fool's Trust

**Chapter 41 - A Fool's Trust**

* * *

The mood in the small hospital room was heavy. Shinjiro's mood had gone from simply bad to absolutely terrible in light of the various pieces of news he had received. Losing teammates was bad. Being caught in a war with Demons was terrible. But learning that someone he had been fighting alongside was planning to destroy his home made those problems seem small. Weary, he placed his head in his hands and sighed. "Tell me why he's doing this. Now."

Sitting down across from Shinjiro, Almaz began explaining what transpired a few minutes ago. "You remember the man we saw at the end of our battle with Salvatore's forces?"

"Yeah. His name's Aurum, right?" Almaz seemed to tense at this, as if the question hurt him somehow. Regardless, he continued.

"That's what everyone else is saying. Anyway, seeing him has made Mao go crazy for some reason. He thinks that destroying the Human World will send some kind of message. That it'll hurt this fake Super Hero somehow."

After a few moments of silence, Shinji finally gave his answer. "That's it? That's the reason he's going to destroy our home!? THAT'S the reason he's going to try and kill millions of people!?"

Further silence greeted him, and it was the only answer he needed. He grabbed his shirt, vest and coat and quickly slipped them back on, before grabbing his new sword and heading for the door. He was only stopped when he felt a hand on his arm. "Wait!"

He didn't turn around, his back facing Almaz as he spoke. "Why?"

"What do you plan to do?" Almaz said in a hesitant voice.

"Isn't it obvious?" He responded, trying to keep his voice even and to not let his anger seep through.

"You can't! We need to stop him, but not like this!" The swordsman sounded desperate. Honestly, Shinji wanted to agree. He hated the idea of having to kill someone, and part of him doubted he even could kill Mao, but if he was planning to kill everyone on Earth, than it would be a greater sin to not stop him. So whatever the cost he needed to do this. But first he'd have to convince Almaz of that.

"Are you really ok with letting him do this? Letting him try to kill everyone you know? Because if we don't stop him now, he might just do it."

"I know! But, I can't just let you kill him! There has to be another way!"

"Well if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear 'em!" Honestly, he hoped more than anything that Almaz could convince him not to do this, if just to keep more blood off his own hands. The man in white looked almost hesitant to answer.

"I... I can convince him. I'm sure of it!" He finally answered, his voice lacking the confidence of his words. After a moment though, he straightened his back, clenched his fist and shifted his face into a look of confidence. "I WILL convince him to stop! Even if it kills me!"

Shinji knew he shouldn't listen. To say Almaz's argument was flimsy was being kind. What he was asking would require more faith than most people could muster. The magnitude of this gamble meant that if he failed everyone involved would lose. "How do you know its even possible? What proof do you have he can be stopped?"

"... Back in Mao's room, before he decided to destroy the Human World, he tried to attack me. Since I was a human and tried to act like a hero, he thought I was just as bad as that imposter. But he stopped before he did, even though he was so angry. I think that some part of him knows that what he's doing is wrong, and if I can just appeal to that part of him again, I know we can save him!"

He had to admit, Almaz's stubborn belief in Mao was impressive. He also couldn't help but notice his choice of words. He didn't say they could stop him.

He said they could save him.

He gave another sigh, one of exasperation yet at the same time, one of relief. "Fine. We'll do it your way."

Almaz showed a bright smile at this, but before he could thank the Persona user, the man's sword entered his field of vision again. "But if you can't stop him in time, I will."

The swordsman shuddered slightly, the intent behind Shinji's words not escaping him. Nervouslly, he nodded, and only then did the other man lower his sword. Both were glad for this compromise, and neither could deny the logic of Shinjiro's decision. Even if they did disagree, it wouldn't change the fact that Shinji would be travelling with their group again, whether they liked it or not.

In order to try and break the tense atmosphere, Almaz lightly chuckled. "I bet even if you did kill him, he'd just get right back up later. Main characters are hard to kill."

Shinji raised an eyebrow at this statement, staring at the other man with confusion. "Main character? What the hell are you talking about?"

He could have sworn he saw a drop of sweat roll down Almaz's face at this. "J-just trying to make a joke..."

"...Whatever." He responded, deciding he had more important matters to attend to. "I need to find my team. You see what you can do about Mao in the meantime. I'll meet you by the statue in the main hall."

"Wait. The statues gone. Remember, the main hall was rearranged and now the statues been removed."

... Honestly, he'd forgotten about that. He spent so little time in the new main hall, he'd forgotten about the remodelling.

And he'd told Masaru to meet at the statue that's no longer there...

And he'd told him to pass that on to anyone else he saw...

 _"Shit..."_ He thought to himself, realising he had no way of contacting his allies, who could be anywhere, possibly looking for a statue he didn't know how to find.

This could take a while...

* * *

It wasn't easy, but he eventually located almost everyone. Kirijo hadn't gotten the message and was busy trying to find a rapier to use. Chidori had gotten the message, but didn't know what statue they meant and had wandered off looking for one. Samantha and Saiduq were moving in random patterns around the area in the hope of finding someone to get directions from. And Aki claimed to have gone on an epic quest to find the missing statue and return it to its rightful place. The fact that he got lost and wound up back in the main hall didn't detract from the importance of his search.

Then again, he did have some thin cuts in his chest and was carrying a tattered, sleeveless green vest that no one had ever seen before, which he then put on to replace his missing jacket. Perhaps he really had gone on a quest and that was his reward...

The idea was too weird for Shinji to think about though, so he stopped staring at Aki in blank confusion and instead turned to look at the group. Everyone was here except for Masaru, Mei and Damia. He hadn't seen any of them, and while most of the others had received the message from Masaru, no one knew where he or the others were.

"Maybe they also went on epic quests to find the statue?" Aki suggested. Saiduq gave him an exasperated look.

"Stop calling it that and just admit you got lost."

"Never!" He yelled in defiance, leading to a few people covering their faces with their palms, pretending they didn't know him. Before Shinji could feel another headache appear, a loud yawn was heard. Turning towards the sound, the group saw a tired looking Mei walking towards them.

"Hey... What are we all doing here?" She asked, still rubbing her eyes.

"We're holding a meeting here since the old statues gone." Samantha explained. Mei tilted her head at this, looking thoroughly confusedly. Apparently Mei hadn't gotten the message from Masaru, so it was pointless to ask her about his whereabouts.

"Have you seen Damia?" Shinji asked. Mei shook her head in response.

"No. I only just woke up, so I haven't seen anyone." Seeing no reason to doubt her, Shinji decided to accept that fact, and considered looking for the others again. He would have done so if another voice hadn't interrupted his thoughts.

"So this is where you all are." Came the familiar bored voice of the team Ronin. The instant he came into sight, almost everyone started yelling at him.

"Why did you tell us to meet at a statue we can't find?!" Was the basic version of what they all said. His response was as calm as ever, and exactly the kind of thing Shinji expected Masaru to say.

"He told me to pass the message on. I can't help it if his instructions suck." No matter how annoying Shinji found the comment, he did feel responsible for the misunderstanding, so he didn't correct him. He instead moved to questioning.

"Where were you?"

"... Getting something to eat." He said, after a pause. Usually Shinji wouldn't think much of the statement, but two things made him think twice about it. First, why did he pause before answering? It sounded almost like he was thinking how to answer that, which wasn't like him. And second, there was a small cut on his chin, which he swore wasn't there before.

Shinji was convinced that Masaru was hiding something, but now wasn't the time to press it. If he did, he might get on the demon's bad side, which right now he couldn't afford. So he decided to let it pass and allow Aki to keep telling his best friend about his quest for the statue. The fact Masaru was shaking his head at the story doing nothing to put a damper on Aki's mood.

That just left Damia. Earlier he'd have reluctantly accepted if she hadn't shown up. However, the recent lose of Dai and Juro had made their group too small to just casually leave a member behind. So he decided to give her a few minutes to show up before he starts looking for her. In the meantime, he decided to ask Masaru another question.

"You knew the statue had moved, didn't you?"

"Yep."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"You should have noticed. Pay more attention to your surroundings next time." His answer came in that annoyingly condescending voice, the kind that sounded like a disappointed teacher lecturing a student. Rather than continue this conversation, he decided he had better things to do.

For better or worse, the universe agreed with him, and he soon heard a familiar voice from behind him. "Yoo hoo!"

The second he turned around, something soft and warm slammed into his face as a pair of arms wrapped around his head. It took him very little time to realise who this was and what part of their body currently had Shinjiro's face buried in it.

With some help from a frustrated Samantha, he eventually removed Damia from his body and took a deep breath. He couldn't help but notice the contemptuous looks some of the other men in the team were giving him, but he tried to ignore them. Samantha attempted scolding Damia for her actions, but it was clear that the Succubus wasn't listening and was instead trying to estimate the Nekomata's measurements by using only her eyes. Even though getting Damia to stop doing stuff like that was important, he felt it was best to interrupt.

"Ok, Mei was sleeping and Masaru was eating. What's your excuse for being late?" He asked, his annoyance with the situation being obvious. Damia chuckled slightly at the question.

"Oh, I was eating too. I ate a lot." She said in a cheerful tone, and he could have sworn he saw her wink at Mei as she said this, though the other girl seemed confused at the gesture. Shinji was not and decided he should change the subject as quickly as possible.

"That's everyone. We need to discuss where we'll go from here."

"Isn't that obvious?" Said Aki, slamming his fist into his hand. "We find the Super Hero, and we take him down!"

Everyone else nodded in agreement, before Shinji interrupted. "Unfortunately, we can't. Not yet."

Confusion spread across their faces at this statement. Feeling he more than had their attention, he carried on. "It's Mao. He's planning something that we have to stop."

"Can't it wait?" Saiduq asked, not really understanding the problem.

"No. Because if we wait, he'll act and we won't be able to undo what he does."

"Enough of these vague comments Aragaki. What is he planning?" Kirijo asked. All eyes were on their leader as he answered.

"He's planning to destroy our world..." He finally said after several moments of silence. No one could hide their shock at this. For a few seconds everyone was silent, trying to think how they could possibly answer that.

"Then we kill him." were the words that finally broke the silence, unsurprisingly said by Masaru. Everyone looked at him, none really finding a reason to disagree. None except Shinji.

"We can't." Now everyone was looking at him, wondering if he'd gone mad. "I've agreed to allow Almaz a chance to stop him without killing him. We're helping him."

"And if that fails?" The Ronin asked.

"That's what we'll be there for. If Almaz fails, we'll stop Mao. Even if it means killing him."

Aki was the first to respond, his tone less energetic than usual. "If we gotta, we gotta..."

"Destroying a worlds just going too far." Samantha said, obviously not happy about this turn of events. Saiduq and Damia wordlessly nodded in agreement.

"I don't like taking such a risk with our world. But if you think its best, I'll trust you for now." Was Kirijo's surprisingly calm answer.

"I won't hesitate to kill him." Chidori eventually said, brandishing her axe, now attached to her wrist with a long chain, for emphasis.

"Neither will I." Masaru stated, agreeing with Chidori's statement.

"If Mao does this, I'll lose valuable specimens for my experiments. I can't afford that." Mei's answer was unsurprising, though the others had hoped she would have had better reasons than that.

"Oh? You like to experiment, huh? So do I." Came the voice of Damia, still as cheerful as ever as she glided over to Mei and put her arm around the other girls shoulders. "Maybe you and I can experiment with each other some time?"

Shinji made a point to cough into his hand to draw her attention back to him and the group meeting. "So, we're in agreement? Good. Let's meet up with Almaz. He said he'd wait for us by the Dimension Gate."

* * *

Meanwhile, in a room at the nurse's office, Champloo and Matildo were meeting to discuss recent events. Neither looked particularly happy. Champloo was the first to speak. "The meal is going all wrong! Our main course is getting roasted by its own heat! If we don't do something, the only thing that'll come out of this dinner is food poisoning!"

Having spent so long listening to his food metaphors, Matildo needed little time to figure out the meaning of his words. "Is there still time, sir?"

"Yes, but that time is running out. I should have kept a closer eye on the oven! If I had, maybe this wouldn't have happened!"

She would have tried to reassure him that he's just being too hard on himself, but she knew that wouldn't work. So instead, she moved on to her own news. "Unforunately, that's not the only complication. Take a look at this."

Moving a curtain, she revealed several beds, each containing a student who had been left pale and was groaning and muttering. Champloo's eyes widened at the sight. "No... It can't be...!"

"All the symptoms match, and no other disease has had these effects. This is Apathy Syndrome."

Champloo had to bite his lips to stop himself from screaming in rage. "How?! Apathy Syndrome isn't meant to occur unless the individual is attacked by a Shadow! And the barrier around the Academy is meant to keep them out! So how is this happening?!"

"S-sir! Please try to calm down!" Matildo said, not used to seeing the chef so angry. Reluctantly , he took a deep breath. As soon as he did a third voice entered the conversation.

"I'm afraid the bad news doesn't end there." Both turned to see a familiar white haired man carrying several people, all suffering from Apathy Syndrome. He placed each down before speaking. "After our mission to the Senior classrooms, I was unable to find Terre. I've looked everywhere I can think of, but he seems to have vanished."

Champloo grimaced at Ruroni's report. "Grrh, where could he be? The Academy is falling apart around us and we need every ally we can get. He should know this!"

"Maybe it has something to do with her?" Ruroni said, catching the attention of the other two. Both thought about it and agreed that it seemed likely.

"Whatever the reason for his disappearance, I can't stick around to find out. Mao is leaving for the Human World soon, and if he isn't stopped, everything will be for naught."

Both the others bowed at Champloo's words and wished him the best. As soon as he was gone, they began carrying the new victims of Apathy Syndrome to some fresh beds. The number of victims was increasing. They needed a solution to this problem. But they were running out of time to find it.


	45. Chapter 42 - Growing Hate

**Chapter 42 - Growing Hate**

* * *

The wait for Almaz and Mao was long. And in that length of time the question Shinji dreaded was eventually asked.

"Where are Dai and Juro?" Aki asked after a moment of looking around the group. As everyone turned to each other in confusion, Shinji wondered how he should explain the situation to them. Eventually he decided to just get it over with.

"They're not coming." As expected, that made everyone look at him, now even more confused. "Dai said he couldn't stay as long as Damia was around, and Juro went to keep an eye on him. They're going to look for more allies and meet up with us later."

Numerous irritated sighs filled the air when he finished. No one was happy to hear this, even the people who had argued with Dai not long ago. Aki in particular looked upset by the news, which made sense. Those two were his friends since before they even met most of the group. The only other person who knew them that long was Masaru, who while he was still more compossed than the rest of the team, still looked a little upset, though whether that was because he's lost friends or was short two assests was impossible to tell.

Eventually, Samantha decided to break the silence. "There's no use complaining. If they're going to get help, then we may as well leave them be and wait for them to come back."

Her attempts to lighten the mood seemed reasonably effective, as some of the others began nodding in agreement. It was surprising to see her stand up for them, since everyone knew that she and Dai got along as well as fire and ice. Regardless, she succeeded in boosting the team morale, so no one questioned it. Kirijo decided that now was as good a time as any to bring up his own questions. "Well, since we now know our mission, what should we do while we wait?"

"Before we go anywhere, we'd best make sure we're all ready." Saiduq said, checking his bag to make sure he had everything he needed. The others quickly started doing the same. Kirijo soon spoke again, though with a statement this time.

"I am going to check something. I should be back soon." He said to Shinjiro, who just gave a small nod in response. The one eyed man walked down the hall towards Takehisa, who soon after the mans arrival, placed his hands on the sides of his head and plunged them both into the depths of his mind.

* * *

Shinjiro's mindscape was made of stone and water. Aki's was made of fire and lava. Masaru's was made of darkness and dragons. No two were the same. Kirijo was no exception. The area representing his mind was made entirely of ice, cold enough to never melt, yet warm enough that it did not hurt to touch. The ice took the shape of a castle throne room, or perhaps the main hall of a cathedral, with the ceiling so high up it was impossible to see, provided it even existed. Every block of ice was perfectly in place to create a symmetrical symbol of order. And as expected, three pillars stood in the middle, the first being short and containing a trapped rapier and the second being significantly taller and holding a gun in its grasp.

The third was the one that first caught his attention though. The one that stood before him wrapped in chains was neither as short as the first pillair nor as tall as the second. At least not at first. A few seconds after he arrived, he saw one of the sets of chains wrapped around it slowly turn to ice, and as soon as it finished, it exploded in a shower of clear crystal. But before the shards could fall, they swirled in midair and flew back to the pillair, forming a new section on top of the old one, yet with such quality that it would look like it had always been there. Now the pillair was as tall as the one that bore the gun, yet radiated an even greater power.

"I see your true potential continues to shine, zam." Takehisa said, reminding Kirijo of his presence. "And you have amassed quite a large amount of Mana as well, zam. With this, you should have quite a few choices before you."

Listening to these words, Kirijo carefully considered his choices. In their last battle, he'd found using a sword had been surprisingly efficient, no doubt due to the additional strength bestowed upon him by his Persona. It only stood to reason that he improve his skills with the blade, should he require to fight something at close range. So he ascended the steps that circled the pillar and easily removed the thin blade from its confinement, before once again witnessing the empty space above it be replaced with a perfect replica of what had come before, complete with a second blade extending from its peak.

With his first choice made, he moved on to his second. He knew he currently lacked the strength to improve his swordsmanship at this moment in time, but other skills were still open to him. One in particular held his interest, one that flooded his mind at the moment those chains broke. Once again he climbed the steps towards his goal, in this case a perfectly circular stone that looked like it was made of sapphire. Resting his hand on it, he felt the Mana pour out of his body and into the gem. He felt no wiser for it, but he did feel that this particular technique would prove more efficient than if he had not done this. He almost hoped he'd have the chance to test it. Almost.

"It would seem that you have run out of choices." Came the familiar voice of the ninja, stirring him from his thoughts. He must have used more Mana than he thought. With none left, there was no reason to stay, so he made his way back to his guide, and allowed him to return them to the real world.

* * *

While this had been happening, the remainder of the group finally saw Mao and his allies approach them. The moment Shinjiro and the white haired demon lay eyes on each other, both scowled. They continued to glare as they walked towards each other, their respective allies behind them.

"Tch, what is it with you people? Why do you keep following me?!" Mao yelled once he and the Persona user were barely an arms length awa from each other. Barely a moment later though, his frown turnrd into a twisted smile. "Then again, with what I'm going to do to your world, I'll understand if you've come to beg for your life."

"I don't beg. Cross me though, and I'll make sure you will." Shinji responded, continuing to glare down at Mao. This quickly made the demon revert back to giving the Persona user a look of hatred. Before the situation could escalate any further, Almaz decided to slide in between the two.

"C-come on guys... We can't be turning on each other like this. We need to try and work together against our mutual enemies." His words combined Shinjiro to back down, though his anger was far from faded. Mao on the other hand pushed Almaz out of his way and walked towards the Dimension Gate, seemingly not caring if the others followed him. One by one, the others steped onto the gate and disappeared, certain to reappear at their destination. Kirijo returned partway through this and wasted no time following his team. Eventually, only Shinjiro and Almaz were still in the main hall.

"Do you really think you can change his mind?" Looks to me like he won't even listen to you." Shinjiro muttered in Almaz's direction. The blue haired man twitched nervously.

"Whether or not he does, I need to- *Cough* *Cough*" Before he could finish, he started coughing and wheezing uncontrollably. Shinji placed a hand on his back in comfort, while the other tried to hold Almaz upright. By the time he finished, he was pale and shaking. In the eyes of his ally, he looked like he was at death's door.

"We need to get you treated. You can't go anywhere like this."

"N-no. It's nothing... Just a cough."

"Don't bullshit me!" Shinjiro yelles, scaring the swordsman slightly. "You can act like it's nothing, but we both know that's a lie."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Almaz responded, sounding desperate. "Even if I am sick, it's nothing serious, so we have to go."

Without waiting for Shinji's counterargument, he began walking towards the Gate. Before he could reach it though, he heard some words over his shoulder.

"I know what its like to hide that you're dying."

The words sapped all of Almaz's strength, and he slowed to a halt. He merely stood there, as if making another move would break him in two. "... How did you know?"

"Like I said, I know what it's like to hide it. The desperation, the fear. And above all, the need to have no one know." As he spoke, he walked past Almaz and stood on the Gate, before finally turning to look at him again. "You're no good to anyone dead. I learned that the hard way."

And without another word, he nodded to the Prinny running the Dimension Gate, and felt his body fade away and reappear far away.

* * *

What awaited the collection of people when they arrived was far from what any of them expected. Instead of appearing anywhere on earth, they appeared to be in somesort of spacial pathway. The ground was made of hexagonal stones, and meteors floated to in every direction around them. In the distance there was a bright light, almost certainly not a star, but shining just as brilliantly as one.

"Damn it, how annoying. It's not connected directly to the human world." Mao said in frustration. More than a few people wee breathing a sigh of relief at this, thankful for the extra time to act. Mao didn't notice though, and continued speaking. "I want to strike fear in those damn humans and see the look of horror and pain on the Super Hero's face!"

Testing his luck, Almaz decided now was as good a time as any to ask Mao some questions that had been bothering him. "H-hey, Mao. Why do you hate the Super Hero so badly? You met him before, right?"

 _"He did?"_ Was the question at least half the people present were thinking upon hearing that, but none thought now was the time to ask. Instead they decided to keep listening to what was being said. Unfortunately Mao answered the question exactly like everyone thought he would. "... Why should I tell you anything?"

"It's useless to hide it, Mao." Beryl interrupted, causing his focus to shift to her. "If we search through the memories in your heart, We'll know either way."

Shinjiro, Kirijo and Chidori didn't understand what that meant, but assumed that it was probably important. Mao didn't seem fazed however, and instead chuckled. "Heh heh heh, your threats are powerless against me! No matter what you do, I will never tell you!"

Some people would have given up trying in the face of such stubbornness. Sapphire was not one of these people, which she made clear when she sternly spoke to him. "Then I'll make you want to speak! Will it be the hell-strike? Or the chainsaw? I'll let you pick your poison."

Apparently the threat of pain inflicted by her was enough, as Mao quickly grimaced. "Rrrgh. You've got some nerve, threatening a demon. Just for that, I'll tell you."

"You sure gave in fast!" Almaz muttered, voicing the thoughts of everyone there.

After a few moments in silence, Mao gave his answer "... I need to defeat the Super Hero to avenge my dad."

"What?!" Was the response of more than a few people in the area, including Shinjiro. Thankfully Mao soon elaborated.

"200 years ago, the Super Hero came to our Netherworld to defeat my dad. He promised that he would only beat him up to teach him a lesson... But he broke that promise!"

"So that memory we saw inside your heart really was your meeting with the Super Hero..." Responded Almaz, finally realizing the significance of an event that most here hadn't witnessed.

"I see. You got in a fight with your dad, so you were gonna have the Super Hero beat him up a little." Continued Beryl, clearly critical of the choice Mao had made.

"What was the outcome of this battle? You said avenge. Does that mean the Overlord lost?" Sapphire concluded, asking the obvious question. Several people there had already figured out the answer, and the others were probably just in denial.

Since Mao didn't answer, Almaz spoke instead, using what knowledge he had to come to a conclusion. "Well, as far as we saw in his heart, Mao told him his weakness, so I would assume Sir Aurum won... But... the Overlord is alive. He beat us miserably in Chapter 1."

In most circumstances Shinji would have asked what the hell he meant by 'Chapter 1', but he felt now was a bad time. Sure enough, Mao adopted a look of pain before continuing. "... No, my dad is dead."

Again, the air was soon filled with cries of "What?!"

"Dear me, so the Overlord has been dead for 200 years?" Sapphire asked, once again voicing the opinions of those around her.

"Yes. Since then he's become a ghost and tied himself down. He can't even die..."

"What do you mean, he can't die?" Almaz asked, clearly not understanding what his teammate meant.

"Dad... has a grudge against me."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Champloo interjected, reminding many of his presence in the group. This seemed to cause Mao's anger to flare, yet his voice remand sad. Shinji could only think that this was Mao's way of expressing true sadness.

"How could he not? If you saw him, you would understand! The sight of him, attached to this world, unable to die! What you saw was not him! He is the strongest, most evil, simply the best Overlord to ever rule the Netherworld!" Mao spoke with a sadness he must have kept inside him for the last 200 years. No wonder he was so angry with the world around him. "And the one who tricked me, and turned my dad into what he is... was a human. A hero. I can never forgive him! Now do you understand? ... If so, then stay outta my way."

Finally Shinji got tired of staying silent. "So you're just gonna take it out on people who did nothing to you? What'll that solve? If you're really gonna try and do this, then I need to be there to stop you."

Champloo nodded at these words. "Aragaki is correct. Revenge won't help you lay anything new! If you're going to lay, lay fresh egg! Even if you are a male!"

"... Hmm. Either way, why did the Super Hero simply let us go?" Sapphire asked Almaz, who looked equally curious.

"I thought that was strange, too. If we fought then and there, he could've taken care of all of us..." He paused for a moment, remembering what had transpired earlier. "He said, 'the time'... I wonder what he meant? Why did he let us go?"

"Hmm, the Super Hero's actions are full of mystery."

"This conversation will have to wait. We have company." Gin said, signalling to eleven large demons infront of them, each with blue skin, curved horns, and a massive cannon in place of their hand. They had all positioned themselves along the narrow path forward, so if anyone wanted to get past they'd have to go past all of them.

Realising this, Aki and Saiduq immediately charged at the nearest one, intent to either defeat it or distract it for the others. The creature quickly turned and fired two shots, the first striking Aki in the shoulder while the second grazed Saiduq's leg. It would have proven more effective if Saiduq had not jumped moments before the shot and landed on the creatures arm, forcing it down before any more shots could be fired. He proceeded to try and pull off the creatures horn, but he was interrupted by it backhanding him away. What it hadn't realised was that Aki's wound hadn't slowed him down, and he was now just close enough to uppercut the creature.

While those two were distracting the first from firing, Samantha and Mao's martial arts expert had run past and were closing the distance to the next one. Before it could even fire one shot, it felt the Nekomata jump at its head. Rather than give it the chance to recover, Samantha then wrapped her legs around its neck and started furiously scratching and punching its face. While she did that, the Fury Fatalist had begun punching it in the chest, focusing on a red stone where its stomach should have been.

The continuous effort on their part prevented it from firing a shot at anyone else, allowing Masaru and Cross to pass. Unlike the previous pairs, these two had no intention of working together, with both heading for a different target. Masaru aimed for the closest opponent, just missing slicing off its hand, while Cross began firing at a further away opponent, which immediately started firing back. Despite the fact they weren't working together, the two's actions did help each other. Masaru managed to keep his enemy distracted enough that it couldn't shoot Cross in the back, while Cross managed to trick his foe into accidentally shooting its own ally, making the Ronin's job easier.

With four enemies currently occupied, the other members of the group managed to reach a turn in the path, where the remaining enemies awaited. The first of which readied itself to fire, but just as it did, Gin summoned a twister underneath it, sending its shot flying into the void. The twister finally stopped when the creature had its back to its enemies, preventing it from anticipating the Magic Knights sword going through its midsection, let alone block it. It did not however prevent it from roaring uncontrollably and lifting the knight from the ground, not giving her enough time to remove her sword from its flesh.

The next Rifle Demon attempted to hold the remaining warriors back, but having Kyoko slide under it and start pulling at its short wings while Asuka jammed a spear into its gun cut those attempts short. Soon the ninja stopped trying to amputate its wings, and switched to repeatedly punching it in the spine as her samurai friend alternated between hitting it with the base of her spear and the blade.

As the remaining members of the two groups charged past, one Rifle Demon proved itself more intelligent than its allies and began firing at them from as far away as possible, hitting several of them, but not enough to stop them. One of its shots was about to hit Mei, when she felt a pair of arms sneak under her elbows and lift he into the sky.

"Beauty like yours should be preserved, don't you think?" Damia whispered in her ear. Mei was grateful for the help, but was so focused on what was happening and what she could, that she decided to withhold on giving thanks till later. She was also so focused that she either didn't notice or didn't care that the way Damia was holding her caused the Succubus' hands to rest on her breasts, which was almost certainly not a coincidence. Eventually, she thought of something and signaled for Damia to carry her across the battlefield and towards the enemy that was still firing at their allies. Once they were overhead, she grabbed her spear and whispered a request to the flying demon.

"Drop me." Damia looked skeptical and a little upset for a moment, but soon figured out the girls plan and obliged her, releasing her hands from their resting place and watching as the girl fell to the ground. Before she impacted though, she pointed the tip of her spear straight down, and tried to put as much of her weight on it as possible. And sure enough it landed blade first in the enemy demon's head, going from the top of its brain to the bottom of its jaw, killing it instantly. As its life faded, so did its gunfire, clearing the path for the others, who had been busy weaving back and forth between shots.

Since a new opportunity had opened itself, the people still making their way down the path wasted no time charging the remaining enemies. Kirijo and Almaz worked together to battle the nearest one, both taking turns stabbing and slashing with their respective weapons. Each attacked from a different side, preventing it from deciding which target to aim at, and whenever it did, the other would hit it, throwing off its aim and making it panic all over again.

Meanwhile another Rifle Demon found itself being hit in the side of the head by an axe. Before it could grab the weapon though, it was pulled back by a chain attached to its handle and another axe struck it in the back of the leg, severing it completely. The last thing it saw before being knocked out was Sapphire standing over her with her axe as Chidori approached her, followed by the princess bringing her weapon down directly on its face.

Two still stood in their path, but their allies defeat did nothing to deter them, as they opened fire on the people currently trying to attack them. Beryl and the Red Witch decided to handle one of them, assaulting it with a constant stream of fireballs to counter its gunshots. Eventually they fired to many for it and it was forced to stop firing as it was pushed closer and closer to the edge. Suddenly the blasts of fire stopped, making it momentarily think it was safe. This belief was shattered when Champloo landed in front of it and roundhouse kicked it off the platform they were on and watched it fall until it was impossible to see.

The last enemy honestly didn't stand any chance of victory at this point. Not only because all its allies had either already been beaten or were moments away from being rendered unconscious, but because both Shinjiro and Mao had decided to attack it. Shinji didn't have any difficulties shoving his sword through its shoulder, managing to slide it just between the bones, leaving its gun arm worthless. Mao meanwhile jumped over it, planted his sword in the creatures forehead and then running it down its spine, creating a sickening scrapping noise, before the beast collapsed.

Back at the start of the path, Saiduq had swapped targets with the Fury Fatalist, who was now helping Aki lift his opponent by its legs and spin it around. At the same time, Saiduq had grabbed Samantha's hand and turned his back on her. Then, with her legs still wrapped around her foes neck, both pulled with all their might and flipped it over Saiduq's back and straight into the path of the spinning enemy, who Aki and his accomplice used as a makeshift bat and knocked the other enemy clean into the distance just after Samantha let go of it and just before they released their target from their grip, sending it to meet its ally in the void.

Barely moments later, Masaru drew his second sword and used them both to cut off his enemies hands, before crouching down in time for another stray shot to hit it in itals chest and knock it unconscious. Behind him, Cross loaded a red bullet into his gun and fired it down his opponents gun, watching as it exploded in the barrel, breaking it and putting its owner in severe pain. A few more shots put it out of its misery.

A few feet away, Gin used his scythe to cut the legs of his target, halting it long enough for the knight to remove her sword and jump off the beast. They then ended the battle by setting their weaons ablaze and sinking them into the demon's upper chest. The flaming metal was too painful for it to bear, and it quickly fainted. At the same time Asuka sunk her spear into another ones chest and, with noticeable effort, threw it into the air. And as it came back down, Kyoko rushed forward and punched it in the face so hard that not only did it sound like something in it snapped, but it was sent in the same direction as her fist before landing on the edge of a platform.

Finally, only one remained conscious, though the continuous assaults of Kirijo and Almaz were soon to fix that. In fact it only took seconds for Kirijo to begin repeatedly stabbing it in the gut before pulling out his gun and shooting it in its third eye. This left it dazed and completely unable to stop Almaz from rushing past it with his sword, slicing open its midsection in the process.

With all enemies vanquished, everyone regrouped at the end of the path. As they did however, Almaz began wheezing heavily, "*Wheeze* *huff* *wheeze* *huff*"

As Shinji and Champloo helped him stay upright, Mao looked at him with curiosity. "Hm? Wh does your body look so physically in need of adjustments? Do you have a fever? Feeling dizzy? Any coughs? Want elective surgery? I'll fix you up with an immortal body."

"I... respectfully... decline... *cough* *cough*" He said, barely able to muster those three words.

"It's has to be a cold. Here, drink this. It's a special zombie juice I made. It'll boost your stamina... supposedly." Beryl said, extending a glass of... something. Whatever it was, it looked and smlled poisonous. Kyoko soon joined her friends side and gave Almaz a worried look.

"Oh my, you're shivering, Hero. If you'd like, please take this sweater knitted from corpses' back hair." Said sweater looked horrible and, given what she said it was made of, would probably make him even more sick. To round out this little gift giving session, the third girl in pink approached him.

"Oh, then I will make you a thousand cranes so that you will rest in peace." Said Asuka, her sweet smile contrasting what she said. Between the three of them, the delinquents' attempt to make Almaz feel better had managed to make the other humans a little uncomfortable. Regardless, Almaz offered a kind smile to ghe three.

"Th, thanks, but your thoughts are more than enough."

"Almaz, you shouldn't push yourself. A hero's body is his most precious asset." Said the reasoning yet kind voice of Sapphire, who seemed the most concerned. Shinjiro wasted no time agreeing with her.

"She's right. You need your rest if you're going to keep fighting." Almost in defiance of what they were saying, Almaz stood upright and turned towards Sapphire.

"I'm fine! I'm always prepared to sacrifice this body for you whenever it's needed! I, Almaz von Almandine Adamant, hereby pledge my li-" He didn't get the chance to finish that statement, as Sapphire proceeded to give him a fierce glare, and cut him off.

"Fool! Don't talk of dying so freely! And I thought I told you, I would be saddend if you die. Didn't I?" Her stern reprimand completely drained his earlier confidence as he awkwardly apologized.

"Yeah, I'm sorry..."

"But you know... Even if you die, I probably still won't be able to cry." She said, anger fading to sadness. "I want to cry, but I can't. It's an incredibly miserable and sad feeling... So, don't die. I don't want to feel that way."

"Princess... Don't worry, I won't die. I won't do anything to make you sad."

"You really won't die? Do you promise?"A painfully long pause later, Almaz answered that question.

"... Yes." Shinji really didn't want to interrupt the moment they were having, but he felt it was necessary.

"So go get some treatment and rest. You'll just get yourself killed continuing like this. You made a promise, so you should do everything you can to keep it." Unfortunately, Shinjiro wasn't the only one who interrupted.

"Hmph... A promise? There's no such thing as a hero who'd keep a promise!" Said Mao in a disgusted tone of voice. Just when it looked like they might convince Almaz to turn back, he had to say that, and Shinjiro knew that as soon as Almaz heard that, he'd refuse any offer to turn back.

"Mao..." He said in a quiet tone. Beryl was quick to yell at Mao for that.

"Man, the mood was set and everything. You two need to learn how to sense the atmosphere."

 _"Why am I getting yelled at for trying to save his life...?"_ Shinji thought to himself. He chose not to voice it, mostly because Almaz started speaking.

"Um, Mao? I don't plan on dying, but, if... just if, something happens to me... Take care of the princess for me." His smile was surprisingly confident, given what he was asking of a man who did nothing but insult him and threaten to destroy his world. Sapphire also seemed confused by this statement.

"Almaz?"

"Ha! What are you saying? Are you sure you're thinking straight?" To say that Mao was surprised by this was obvious. Then again, so was everyone else. Both Shinjiro and Beryl felt the need to advice him against it.

"No offence, but I think you're asking the wrong person."

"Maybe you really do have a fever. Mao's personality is pretty twisted now. It's probably not a good idea." Even Mao himself soon commented on the decision and how little it made sense.

"Yeah. Did you hope to make a promise with me, the one guy who hates humans and heroes more than anything? Promises are worthless. What meaning do they have?"

"It's not a promise. Mao, I trust you." Literally everyone in the area was surprised by this, though perhaps none more so than the demon in question.

"Trust!? That's... disgusting! You do know I'm about to go destroy your world, right? What's your angle?"

"Well, sadly, I don't have much time." Shinji cursed under his breath. He'd told Almaz that this self-sacrificing nature wouldn't help anyone, least of all the people he leaves behind. Why did he insist on making the same mistake that he himself had made?

"Huh? Oh, right. Heh heh heh. Your title is already 'Mostly Demon'. You don't think you can hold onto your sanity once you turn completely into a demon, do you?" He was becoming a demon? That could happen? Looking closely, Shinji could see small fangs in his mouth and, in a moment of nervousness, checked his own teeth. Thankfully there were no signs of fangs, so he assumed he wasn't mutating. He'd have to find out what caused this later, but for now he'd keep his mouth shut.

"Oh, you knew? Well yeah, that's about right." Almaz lied, quickly using Mao's explanation to avoid telling the truth. Part of Shinji was disappointed, but by now he wasn't really surprised. It was clear that nothing could dissuade Almaz, even if it killed him. And at this rate, it would. "... When the time comes, I'm counting on you, Mao."

The overall strangeness of this conversation left Mao so surprised that he couldn't even think of a proper response. Instead he just huffed in annoyance and walked off. Slowly the others followed, not really certain what to make of the conversation. Almaz would have followed if he hadn't felt a metallic hand on his shoulder. Once everyone was gone, he breathed a weary sigh.

"I know.. You already scolded me earlier, remember? But what could I do? Tell them I'm dying and risk letting Mao destroy a world?" His sad eyes became obvious as he turned to the Persona user.

"I still think you're making a mistake. And I'll be honest, I wouldn't trust Mao with protecting anyone. Where does this faith of yours come from?"

Almaz carefully considered his answer, wanting to make absolutely certain that Shinjiro understood his beliefs. "... I've been with Mao for days, and I've seen what he's been through, the pain he's carrying and how much he wants to move past it. It's eating away at him, and he doesn't know how to fix it. But if I can help him overcome that pain, I think he could be a great man."

"Can't say I see it.." He muttered quietly. "But if you're so determined to throw your life away out of faith, then I won't stop you. But if this doesn't work, and he still does the wrong thing, then I'm going to do what needs to be done."

"... I haven't forgotten." Taking that as a sign that the conversation was over, Shinjiro started walking, leaving the swordsman to catch up. But this time it was Almaz's turn to stop him. "If it does come to that... If I die and Mao can't be convinced to stop, could you please take care of the princess for me?"

"... Count on it." And now he walked away, hoping that that was a promise he never had to fulfill.

* * *

"He trusts them? How weak and defenseless he is." Said a voice in the darkness, watching the group. Her gaze was so focused she didn't even notice someone sneak up behind her.

"But it's that trust that makes his heart so rich. Don't you agree?"

Spinning in surprise, she came face to face with the boisterous cook, who had somehow separated himself from the group without being seen. "What?! When did you- How could I let someone take my back?"

Champloo chuckled at this slightly before adressing the Diez Gentleman. "We can both say that we haven't shown our true powers yet. I hope you don't underestimate me."

Salvatore scoffed at this statement before moving on to questioning him. "Hmph. Looks like we both have our situations. What's a man like you doing helping the Overlord's son?"

"A man needs no reasons to help another man! Just leave it to your heart's belief!"

"My heart's belief?"

"Indeed. During our previous battle, no matter how much potential Mao brought, you should've won through actual skill. The reason you lost was because you believed the power of friendship outweighed your sheer power. Am I right?"

Salvatore gave no answer to the statement, instead choosing to pull her cap over her eyes. With no response given to his statement, Champloo continued his speech.

"A demon is one who normally lives in the carefree freedom to follow their heart's content. Your powers will inevitably be cut in half if you live in a conformed way. Since when have you demons been altering your honour students lifestyle to conform with those of delinquents? That must've allowed him the chance to gain an advantage over all of us. At least that's what I think, boom."

Lifting her cap again, Salvatore finally responded to all that the man had said. "... Who are you anyway?"

Lifting his head back, he laughed as he walked past her. "Hahaha, I'm just the cook."

For a moment she just stared at the strange man and considered his strange advice. But before she could for too long, he said one final comment.

"He followed his heart too. And while he sometimes regrets it, he pushes forward since he believes it's right. Do you believe he's right?" And with that he left to find his group again, leaving her to contemplate his words.

* * *

The path continued for sometime, with no one noticing Champloo slip back into the group as subtly as he left. A few spoke amongst themselves, but about things of little importance. All conversations stopped when a voice rang out from above.

"You shouldn't be here."

Looking up, they saw a familiar man in a black coat with an equally dark sword. Shinjiro instantly scowled at the sight of him. "Terre..."

"Aragaki..." He responded. "That girl will be here soon. You should leave if you don't want to fight her again."

"You mean Ciel?" Samantha asked him.

"Is that what she calls herself now? Whatever. She plans to kill me. And I plan to do the same to her. So, I'm waiting for her here. You should go before it happens."

In frustration, Shinji yelled up at him. "Not until I get an answer! Why the hell do you want to kill each other so badly?!"

Terre glared down at him in silence before jumping down to the same level as everyone else. He then walked directly into Shinji's face and glared at him. "Why does everything you say piss me off?"

"I could ask you the same." After a few more moments of glaring at each other, Terre took a few steps back.

"Fine. I've got time to kill. Let me tell you how Ciel was born."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORANT NOTE: 
> 
> This was the last chapter written before I set up my AO3 account. Now that I've reached the same point as the original version, uploads should be roughly simultaneous. So, I hope you look forward to the rest of the story.


	46. Chapter 43 - Cursed Crystal

**Chapter 43 - Cursed Crystal**

* * *

_"Look how high I am ####!" Said a young boy from the top of a tree, catching the attention of his sister, who rested against the trees base. She smiled slightly as her brother stood on the branch and beamed with pride over his achievement._

_"That's great big bro." She said, in a voice so quite it was as if she hadn't spoken at all. Taking her eyes off him, she looked in the direction of the sun, carefully avoiding looking directly at it. "I wish I could see it more often..."_

_Despite her voice being barely louder than a whisper, her brother heard her and jumped down to her. "Don't worry ####. Once you're better, we can play outside all the time!"_

_The girl gave a small smile at this declaration. "What do you want to play?"_

_The brother smiled broadly at the question. "I'm gonna play Hero! That way I can always protect you!"_

_She joyfully laughed. "Really big bro? You promise?"_

_"Of course! I'm gonna be a hero just like Sir Aurum!" He said, dramatically puffing out his chest and bringing his hand to his heart. "And then I can always be there for you!"_

* * *

"How much better would the world be if promises like that meant anything?" Terre questioned, pausing from his story to face those that listened to it. "A world where heroes are everything you think they are. That's not the world we live in. As those siblings would one day learn."

"What does this have to do with Ciel?" Mei asked, her head tilting in confusion.

"I can guess..." Shinji muttered grimly, already having theories. Terre didn't hear him and kept talking.

"These two were innocent though, untainted by the evil the world could produce. No family, no money, and not a care for either. They had each other, and that's all that mattered." Despite speaking of something seemingly so simple and peaceful, his face showed no sign of any emotion. "But one truth of the world, is that the innocent are either broken or killed."

* * *

_The children of the orphanage watched as strange men in coats walked in, handing the owner a check as he walked away, an expression of sadness on his face. More than a few were scared, being surrounded by so many strangers. One boy saw a young girl who was trying to look as small as possible in the hopes that they wouldn't see her, as her brother stood in front of her, keeping a strong face and attempting to hide that he was clearly worried himself._

_The boy decided to go over to them, hoping that being with them would ease his own nerves. That thought didn't help much when one of the strange men stopped and looked directly at them, before smiling in a way that seemed to show the opposite of compassion, as if he had just seen an animal to dissect. He couldn't help but shudder at the sight._

_Thankfully, the man and his companions soon left, causing the boy to breathe a sigh of relief as the brother kneeled next to his sister, asking if she was ok. She gave a small nod, not feeling safe enough to stand up yet. "Who are those people big bro?"_

_The boy looked uncertain about her question, wanting to know the answer himself. "I don't know ####."_

_"You'll keep me safe, right?" She asked. The boy couldn't tell if the brother's next statement was true, or a lie to reassure her._

_"Of course!" The boy was surprised when the brother turned to him. "And so will he."_

_"He will?"_

_"Yeah. I mean he came over here to make you feel better, didn't you?" Something about the brother's gaze implied that he would hurt the boy if he didn't agree._

_"Y-yeah..." He replied, mostly out of fear. This made the girl smile with gratitude, making both the boys feel better about their promise, and more confident as well. Returning the smile, her brother extended a hand and helped her up._

_"Now you have two people to protect you, ####." He said cheerfully, ignoring his previous fear. And for a moment, all three of them were happy._

_Sadly, joy rarely lasts._

* * *

_"It is a simple procedure, ######." One of the men said to the brother, holding a syringe. The young boy refused to say anything in response. Since these men took over, the orphanage had been changing, and he didn't like it. The walls had been covered in metal plates, the carpets had been removed in place of white tiles that were always cold and the windows had all been replaced with stronger glass, and couldn't be opened. To make it all worse, the children had each been given a solitary room, away from their friends and families, which were locked whenever they were inside, so whenever they were sent to their rooms, they were essentially trapped._

_It felt like a prison._

_No. That wasn't the right word. Prisons weren't this clean. They weren't this sanitary. And with all these experiments being done on random children, he didn't feel like a prisoner. He felt like a lab rat. Just something that these men could poke with strange tools to see what happened. To say he hated it was an understatement._

_But what was worse than that, worse than the knowledge that he was trapped in what was once his home, was knowing that his sister was in the same situation, and he was rarely allowed to see her and comfort her._

_Or at least, that's what the boy in the opposite cell thought as he looked through the small window in his door across at the brother's room. Of course he had no way to know if that's what the brother really felt, but he felt he knew enough about him to assume it was true. So he just sat back in his room and waited for the scientist to leave. They'd visited the brother before, always asking the same things and making the same offers. And every time he'd remain silent, waiting for them to leave. For some reason they wouldn't perform the procedure without his consent._

_In the boys mind, that was the worst part. They pretended they cared, while keeping them trapped in small cages, where the only ways to even hope to escape would be to wait for an unknown amount of time, or accept this strange offer. And every day, the crushing loneliness got worse and worse, making them more desperate to escape, making the offer to leave at the price of whatever the men wanted more tempting. Some had already agreed, and hadn't been seen since._

_Two options entered his mind about what happened to them. Either they took the procedure and were allowed to leave, or..._

_He didn't want to think about that option._

_About ten minutes later, the man in the brothers cell sighed and left without a word. The boy could barely see the brother once booth the doors were closed, and he still didn't make a noise._

_Was it strength or fear that kept him from speaking? He didn't know. All he knew is that soon they'd come for him too. And he honestly didn't know what answer he'd give them._

* * *

_The screaming started not long after that day. No one knew where it was coming from or why. Sometimes there were multiple screams, and even when there weren't they were never the same as the time before, proving that each scream came from a different person. But the worst part was that no one knew when the screaming would start and when it would stop. It could happen anytime and last for either less than a minute or hours on end._

_The boy would sit awake listening to those when they happened, hoping they'd stop soon. He wondered if any of the others were still awake. He wondered if they were even still alive. All he could see from his cell was that the brother was still in the room across from him, still visited every so often by their captors. Apart from that, everything was a mystery._

_Then one night, something different happened. The screams started, louder and more pained than ever, and a few minutes later they stopped. He thought that was the end of it for the night, and he could finally sleep. He was proven wrong when he heard the sound of numerous people running past his door, voices saying something about a test subject and containment. He couldn't hear the very clearly, so he didn't know what they meant._

_He was prepared to just ignore it, see it as another incomprehensible fact about an equally incomprehensible situation. What he wasn't prepared for was the sound that followed. A sound so loud and sudden it took him a moment to even realise what it was. For a moment he believed it to be lightning, but the second time he heard it, this time louder than before, he knew that was wrong. In truth, it was a roar. An animalistic, crazed, furious roar._

_A few seconds later, more screams could be heard. These ones weren't the same, that much was obvious from the sound. This clearly came from someone much older than the previous screams, all of which sounded like they came from children. These ones were also much shorter, each lasting only a second before fading into the darkness never to be heard again._

_And they were getting closer. As they did, another sound could be heard, sounding almost like footprints mixed with a bizarre scraping noise._

_Defying logic, common sense, and even the voice screaming in his head to hide, the boy couldn't help but draw closer to the window, his curiosity demanding he try to see what was making those noises. At first, all he saw was a silhouette in the darkness, one that barely looked human. Just a second after he saw it however, it moved so quickly he didn't believe it was impossible. In what felt like just a second, it had moved from out of sight to right in front of his door, it's face pressing into the window._

_He'd never forget that face, one full of pain and hate. What stood out most however was that one of it's eyes was missing, and from the socket was extending a vibrant crystal. Looking over it, crystals were growing randomly across its body, enveloping it's left arm completely in a claw, while it's right foot was so covered in the shimmering stone that he was surprised it could even be lifted._

_For a moment it simply stared at him, gritting it's fangs at him, as if he had offended it somehow, or as if it was eyeing him like it's next meal. The next moment, it roared again and slammed it's giant fist into the door, and had it been any normal door it would have been completely annihilated. As it was, the door stood firm, but the large dent in it was proof that it wouldn't hold if the creature continued it's attack. The boy slowly backed away, as if he had forgotten that all that was behind him was a solid wall. At most he would live a few seconds longer than if he had continued to stand by the door._

_Another swing of it's fist left another dent, followed by another and another. Each one weakened the bolts mounting the door to the wall. Some even made the whole room seem to shake. No matter what the boy did, he couldn't help but think the same three words again and again._

_'I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die...'_

_Just when it looked like the door was finally going to be broken, and the bringer of his death unleashed upon him, he heard another sound, one which drowned out the creatures roars. Gunshots. Hundreds of them, followed by the sounds of men yelling, and blades cutting through flesh and crystal. A minute later all was silent, as if it had all been a dream._

_Cautiously, he approached the door again and looked through the window again. There he saw the creature again, covered in various injuries and with not a sign of life still in it. It's blood practically painted the whole corridor red. It's crystals, which he could now see also covered it's spine almost completely, were shattered, and the shards scattered along the floor._

_He stared at it briefly, afraid that if he stopped it might come back to life again and finish the job. The longer he looked however, the more certain features of it became obvious, ones he had ben too afraid to see before. Finally it all pieced together in his mind, and when it did he recoiled in horror._

_There was no denying what he saw. That thing that attacked him, that monster that was trying so hard to kill him, was a human. Mutated, rage filled, and so twisted in body and mind that you could barely tell, but it WAS human, of that he was certain._

_And that raised a question even more horrifying that the beast itself, one that would haunt him for days on end._

_'How did this happen...?'_

* * *

_There hadn't been any screams for the few days that followed that night. If the boy listened, he could hear the strange men talking about developing a new containment system, so there wouldn't be another incident like that. He didn't understand what they meant about containment, but he knew this proved they were connected to what happened._

_It took them some time to replace his door, but he didn't complain. When they removed it, he got to sneak down the hall they were in and get a better idea of how his fellow prisoners were handling the situation. The brother sat in silence like always, as if the world outside could do nothing to break his composure. A few other cells contained people he vaguely recognized but never really talked to, each showing various form of despair, be it simple sad eyes or full blown tears. A few more had strangers in them, who must have arrived after the strange men did. Finally, he found the sister, who looked as frail as ever, sleeping with a look of pain. He wanted to go in there and comfort her, but he knew the door was locked. He considered looking for the key, or escaping and getting help, but he knew that he'd be caught before he'd get the chance._

_Grudgingly, he returned to his cell, just before the men returned. Their glare implied they knew he'd left his cell, proving that he was right to avoid running. Who know what they would have done to him if they'd caught him outside. If they did indeed know, they decided not to punish him, and instead simply finished replacing the door and relocked it. Once he was alone, the boy's thoughts drifted to the others, and how sad and in pain they all looked. They must have been asked the same questions he and the brother were._

_They must have been experiencing the same fear and confusion he was..._

_They must have wanted to leave so badly..._

_That night one of the men came into his room and made him the same offer they always did. They may have used different words, but the message was clear and unchanging. With all the confidence he could muster, he stared at the man and spoke after a silence that felt eternal._

_"If I say yes, and what you do works, will you leave the others alone?"_

_He'd always remember the man's smile, as it made him look less like a man and more like a snake._

_Before he knew it, he was in another room, strapped to a metal table, with tools laid out next to it. He'd seen various tubes and heavy metal doors on his way in, but with how he was bound he could no longer turn to look at them. All he could look at now was the bright lights above him, and how blinding the white glow the emitted was. Eventually, one of the men leaned over him. "You're a lucky boy. Up till now, we've been testing a particular substance, with... mixed results."_

_He couldn't help but wonder if these 'mixed results' included that thing he saw before, but the man continued talking, so he thought it was best not to ask. "However, recently we were supplied with something new. Having run some early tests on it, we've decided that the only way to move forward is to implant part of it inside a human body. And you volunteered just in time."_

_As he spoke, he picked up a scalpel, as the other men in the room picked up other tools. They all seemed to be leering down at him with their demented smiles and sinister eyes, but none more so than the man who was speaking, who picked that moment to lean closer._

_"Unfortunately, our analysis shows that inserting the sample into a specific part of your body would yield the best results." He said, holding the scalpel close to the boys eye. The implications soon sank in, and he realized that there was a reason he was bound so he couldn't turn his head. Instinctively, he attempted to get free, but the bonds were too strong. "You had best hold still. This will hurt, but not as much as it will if you struggle."_

_He remembered the blade approaching his eye, but beyond that, all he could remember was pain, and the sound of his own screaming. He honestly couldn't tell you how long they were experimenting on him, since it felt like years, but when it was all done he learned that the sun hadn't even risen yet._

_When it was over, they wrapped bandages around his eye, which was in agony for the whole night, and felt as if it was changing shape in its socket, never setting properly. Trying his best to ignore it, he looked around his new cell, which they had moved him to instead of his old one. This one had much thicker walls and the only window was at least twenty feet above him, so he couldn't reach it. It was also extremely small, barely having enough room for a bed and a toilet. All in all, it made him miss his old cell._

_The pain was too great for him to sleep, so he merely lay down and waited for the sun to rise._

* * *

"...And?" Shinji asked after Terre went silent for a while. The dark haired man sighed a little as he pushed back his fringe, revealing his right eye for the first time. Numerous people recoiled slightly at the sight of it, as it barely even looked like an eye anymore. It was a cold shade of silver, which seemed to have a faint glow, as if it was charged with energy. To add to the oddity, it had three pupils, each in the same style as a Demon's pupil, arranged in a line. The scars from the initial surgery were still there, and the veins around his eye were alarmingly noticeable.

"After a few days, my eye changed to look like this, and the pain finally stopped. When it did, it wasn't the only thing about me that had changed..." He said, vanishing a second later. All who witnessed it were surprised for a moment before hearing his voice coming from behind them. "I found that I had powers beyond that of any human. Powers I used to escape that place and never look back."

"...That's why she's after you. Isn't it?" Kirijo asked. He was met with a sombre nod.

"I promised I would protect her. But I abandoned her and everyone else there just to save myself... If I were her, I'd want to kill me too."

"Wait." Said Aki, having just one question on his mind, though he doubted he'd like the answer. "What happened to her brother?"

"I imagine he died somehow. Maybe one of the experiments was too much for him, maybe another test subject killed him. Or maybe she killed him when she became like she is. I guess I'll never know, since the facility we were kept in was destroyed."

"How did that happen?" Asked Samantha before an idea formed in her mind. "Don't tell me that..."

Another nod greeted her. "It looked like it had been ripped apart from the inside. Like spikes had pierced through everything. And in the damage, I found these..."

Pulling something from his pocket, he threw it towards the group. Masaru, being closest, caught it and held it up to his face before turning to Shinjiro. "Crystal shards. Just like the ones she makes."

"It must have been when she became what she is. Her powers are incredible, but unstable. I doubt she was even in control of herself when she did this."

The Ronin took on a thoughtful pose when he heard this, handing the vial of crystal shards to his leader as he did. "Her current mental state would make sense considering such traumatic events."

"But it doesn't justify them..." Terre responded, his face becoming cold. "She's going to keep hurting people if no one stops her. I've already proven incapable of protecting her, so I may as well be the one who protects others from her."

"Then tell me..." Shinjiro cut in, hoping that the next words out of Terre's mouth weren't the ones he expected. "How exactly do you plan to do that?"

Without hesitating, the man with the cursed eye reached into his coat and pulled out a small cube of what appeared to be clay with several wires running into it. "These are high power Netherworld explosives. I've planted a few along this path. When she arrives I'm going to detonate a few to stop her from escaping. Then... Then I will personally...end her..."

"Y-you've gotta be kidding!" Aki blurted out. "I mean... I know what she's done, but... Is it really too late to stop her any other way...?"

"Yes." Terre said bluntly, slipping the bomb back into his pocket. "The only person who could possibly have saved her from herself is dead. The best I can do is stop her from killing ever again."

Everyone was silent at his words, trying to decide if he was right or not. When he didn't hear anyone say anything in answer, the dark dressed man sat on a nearby part of elevated ground and closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. "You should leave now. This battle is between me and her. I won't drag anyone else into it."

Numerous people exchanged nervous glances at this, while others started to walk away. Aki and Mei both looked like they wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't form. Samantha clearly had the right words, but wasn't sure whether or not to say them yet. But someone in the group clearly knew what to say, and didn't hesitate to speak. "Coward."

Everything seemed to stop at that one word. Those who were leaving turned back to stare. Those who stayed focussed all of their on the speaker as shock overtook them. Even Terre's composure shifted as he looked up in surprise. But he was not surprised to see who had spoken to him. "Aragaki... What did you just call me?"

"A coward." The Persona user answered, his stone-like glare unmoving from Terre. "You find someone from your past, someone you thought you'd never see again, and your first thought is to kill her? You're too afraid to even try and save her!"

Warping in front of Shinjiro, Terre stared at Shinjiro, his glare now matching the other mans as they both expressed fury to the other, though Terre's also gave the impression that he was looking down on Shinjiro. His voice meanwhile showed no emotion, and the contrast between it and his eyes would have been alarming to most. "I am risking my life to stop her. You've seen how dangerous she is. And now you're telling me to risk God knows how many lives, on the chance I can save hers?"

Despite Terre's firm glare, Shinji didn't back down. "And if you walk away from this, you'll always wonder if maybe you could have saved her and everyone. And that pain will be worse than anything you've ever felt."

"What do you know of pain?" Terre responded, his voice still sounding calm. "I'm taking responsibility for what she did. I suppose someone as reckless as you wouldn't know the meaning of that."

"Don't assume you know me." Shinjiro said, practically spitting the words in Terre's face. "I know what it's like to lose people. And what it's like to feel guilt."

"You claim to know guilt, yet you try to stop me from taking responsibility for my mistake. You call me a coward, yet you think I don't feel pain about what I must do. This is battle, Aragaki. We can't afford to show our emotions in battle." Terre said with an equal amount of hate towards the other man. Before either could respond, a third voice cut in.

"You know nothing of pain." Said Masaru, drawing both men's attention. And even though no one could see his eyes, Shinji could have sworn he was glaring at Terre. "What you think is pain is barely a scratch compared to true suffering. True pain would crush someone like you in seconds."

"So you're going to stand in my way too. Why?"

"Don't get me wrong. Usually the thought of agreeing with Shinjiro doesn't appeal to me. But for once I have no choice."

"So, how are you going to lecture me?" Terre asked, seeming angry, but also a little bored.

"You never found her body. You could always wonder if maybe she can still be saved. You can take comfort from it. True pain would give you no such comfort, no such hope. All that true pain can give you is despair. If you're lucky it can give you purpose, but never hope." Masaru didn't flinch as Terre appeared before him, and glared directly at where he assumed the Ronin's eyes were. "If you kill the only family you have left, then you will truly feel pain. And you will never stop feeling it."

"Were you even listening to my story? She's not my family."

"You were raised together, weren't you? Whether you share blood or not, that makes you family in my eyes." Terre planned to respond, but before he could, Shinjiro's voice forced him to spin around.

"Maybe my idea of pain is different to yours. But I've lost people. I've made mistakes. And each one just makes me wonder how many people I've failed." Shinjiro said, his voice and glare as strong as ever. "But you have a chance to get over that guilt and make amends for a mistake you made. I'd do anything for that chance, and you'd throw it away because you're afraid you'll fail. In my eyes, that makes you a coward."

Terre found no words to respond with, so he just glared at the two men surrounding him. Eventually, Masaru turned his back on the man. "Make your choice and live with the consequences. Or don't. I couldn't care less. We have our own things to deal with."

But even after Masaru walked away, Shinji didn't stop gazing at Terre with anger. "I can't make you decide, since this is a choice only you can make. But if you survive and she doesn't, then you'll know that everything we just said was right. Can you live with that?"

Instead of answering, Terre warped to higher up and pulled out a device with a single button on it. "I suggest you leave. I have plenty of bombs, so a few going off early won't be a problem for me. And I won't hesitate to cut down anyone who tries to interfere with our battle."

It didn't take much effort to figure out that he was holding the detonator for his bombs. With one final anger filled glance at the man in black, Shinjiro turned away and followed the rest of the group as they left. As he did, he thought about how calm Terre's voice had been. There may have been an unmistakable anger it, but it was well hidden. That worried him, since if he was in control of his emotions that much, he might genuinely be able to put them aside in the coming battle. Still, unless he wanted to be blown up, he needed to leave for now and hope that everything would work itself out. As he walked, Terre said one last thing to him in that same calm voice. "The girl I knew is already as good as dead. I may as well give her peace."

No one responded. They all just walked until there was no one left. With everyone gone, Terre jumped down to where they were and turned in the opposite direction, ever vigilant for the oncoming threat.

* * *

Just when he was sure that he was far enough away from Terre, Shinji stopped walking and turned back. Out of curiosity, the others stopped and glanced back at him. Masaru sighed. "You want to stay, don't you?"

"I'm worried that he'll either make the wrong choice or fail. I want to be around, just in case."

"... As strange as it is, I agree." The swordsman responded, surprising his leader. "But don't get used to me backing you up."

"Wouldn't dare." Shinji said, sitting down in a spot where he could easily see where Terre was waiting. The others of his group soon followed, as did a few from Mao's. Mao himself scoffed at this.

"I don't have time for this! And since you insist on following me, you don't have time for it either!" Most people ignored Mao's outburst. Almaz meanwhile approached Mao and tried to reason with him.

"W-well... if we watch this, you might learn about the strange powers of those two." Mao considered this for a moment, before smiling his usual twisted smile and found himself a good place to wait.

Now all that they had to do was wait.

* * *

He took deep breaths to calm his nerves, but nothing seemed to help. His anger may have faded, but it was now replaced with a deep feeling of dread.

She was coming. He could feel it.

He tried to focus on his breathing. The sound of air entering and leaving his lungs.

Over and over, he repeated the motion.

Until he heard another sound, growing louder and louder.

Opening his eyes, he looked forward and saw a shape approaching.

A shape surrounded by spikes, endlessly growing and collapsing into millions of shards.

It was time.

"... It's been a while, hasn't it?"

She smiled. Before it would have brought him comfort, but now it just made everything so much worse.

"I found you~!"

Ciel had arrived.

"And now... I finally get to kill you~!"

There was no turning back.


	47. Chapter 44 - Shattered Crystal

**Chapter 44 - Shattered Crystal**

* * *

Everything he had ever done had been leading to this moment. He did not know this would be the outcome, but now that he was here, in this place at this time, he knew that it could not have been avoided. He could not escape the fact that he, adorned in black and bearing an expression that showed as little emotion as stone, would stand opposite her, garbed in pink and wearing a smile of twisted joy.

"It's been a while..." He said, not sure what else to say.

"Yeah. It has been a while since you... Oh, what's the word I'm looking for... ABANDONED ME TO DIE!" She responded, her anger at him mixing together with her joy at finally getting her revenge. He seemed to show no reaction to the claim, but if someone looked very closely, they'd see that he just barely winced at the comment.

"And now others die because of what I did?" He asked, trying to sound as harsh and critical as he could.

"You don't understand. You never did." Ciel said to him, her voice lowering. "But how could you? You were born strong, while I was born weak. You probably didn't even feel anything when they shoved those needles into you." Even at this distance, Terre could see her eyes were reflecting unadulterated hatred and anger with  
each sentence, and it contradicted the calm tone in her voice.

"But me? I felt every drop of what they pumped into me as it burned through my body again and again, changing me forever. What I do to others is only a fraction of the pain I had to go through, because you left me behind."

"But they don't deserve it. You may be in pain, but that doesn't excuse you of your crimes."

"My crimes!? AHAHAHA! And what about yours!? When we were kids, you hated Demons more than anything! You can't tell me you haven't sliced a few up with that sword of yours!"

"...I'm impressed you remember that. I thought all you had left was madness and hate." Terre said almost sadly. Part of him felt relieved to know that some part of the girl he knew was still in their, but another knew that that just made it even worse.

"Of course I remember. How could I forget anything about you? The one who was always there. The one who kept saying how he'd protect me. The one who broke his promise. Well? How could I?"

Terre hesitated for a moment, before calmly drawing his sword. "Whether you remember our past or not is irrelevant. I still have to stop you."

All that statement brought from her was laughter. "And how are you gonna do that? Last time we met, you were completely helpless. And trust me, you're gonna wish you'd let me choke you back then. 'Cause what I'm gonna do now is gonna be so much more fun!"

As she finished her declaration, she threw her arms back, creating a huge crystal wall behind her, before thrusting her hands forwards, creating a similar wall behind her target. After all this time, she wasn't letting him get away. Coldly adopting his combat stance, Terre pointed his blade at her. "If I could have saved you, I would. But I see it's far too late for that. The best I can give you now is a quick death."

"Oooooh~! Big talk! But I've got some bad news for ya! I'm not dying here, and your death will be far from quick! YOU WON'T DIE UNTIL YOU'VE FELT ALL THE PAIN I HAD TO ENDURE!" With that last roar, even more crystals burst from the ground, seemingly with no pattern. Terre stood his ground for as long as possible, only moving when one of the spikes was about to impale him. Perching himself atop one of the shimmering stones, he gazed down at her.

"Looks like you're used to your powers. Having such control over life and death must have gone to your head." She playfully shrugged at him, offering no argument for the accusation. Breathing deeply, he stood up, perfectly balanced on the tip of the crystal.

"No matter what, I'll make sure it ends here."

* * *

Shinjiro could just see the crystals emerge from the ground from where he was, as the ground shook ferociously. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the fight had started, and something told him it would last for quite some time. But at this distance, it would be impossible to tell who won until one of them was dead. He knew that he needed to get closer if he wanted to intervene. Before he could suggest it though, Mao spoke up. "Tch! I can't get any good research data like this!"

Seeing his chance, Shinji spoke up. "You could always move closer."

"You're only saying that so you can see me skewered." Mao accused, his suspicions of humans clouding his judgement.

"I'm not saying you have to get that close, idiot. Just closer. I'll even go first, if you're so damn paranoid." The Demon glared at him for this, but made no attempts to argue. With Mao remaining silent, Shinji began heading back down towards the area where the battle was taking place. He could hear a few pairs of footsteps following him, and glancing back he could see some of his allies following him, a few more reluctantly than others. He knew hat getting too close to this fight would be dangerous, so he'd have to judge where was a safe distance that was also close enough for him to get involved if necessary.

But he knew that with those walls in the way, he'd have very little time to react if he wanted to change the outcome of this fight. So he'd have to hope that Terre was strong enough to hold Ciel off, and wise enough to make the right choice.

* * *

The hunter began his attack by leaping downwards at his vicious prey, swinging his sword in a way that would cleave her in two if it hit. But all his blade connected with was one of her crystals, as she summoned one below her to push herself out of the range of the weapon. If he hadn't been so focussed on fighting her, he might have been impressed by her quick thinking. Instead, he choose to cut through it and charge at her again.

_"Tch...!"_ He mentally cursed when he saw her smile again.

In an instant, dozens of crystal spikes merged from the ground and completely enveloped him as they crashed into each other and created a large chaotic mess of jagged rock. She laughed at how easy it was to get her revenge, before she heard the sound of the structure collapsing. Standing where it had previously been was Terre, without even a scratch on his, having carved the structure to pieces at impossibly high speeds.

"Dammit, don't get so cocky! I'm just getting started!" Cursing under her breath, Ciel stomped her foot, summoning another swarm of spikes directly beneath him. He only saved himself by quickly diving out of the way, immediately swinging an attack at her when he landed. Once again, all his attack met was a crystal, though this time Ciel remained in place, merely summoning one to serve as a shield. Once his blade was lodged in this extra large crystal, Ciel placed her hands on it, and as if she'd hit it with the force of a bulldozer, it launched itself towards Terre, dragging him further away as he tried to keep his footing.

With the edge rapidly approaching, Terre used all his strength to force the blade further into the crystal, finally carving it in two. With that done, he vaulted over it a mere second before it fell into the abyss. The moment he was safe, he vanished from sight, prompting Ciel to start scanning the area with cautious eyes, It was only this that saved her life, as he chose to appear suddenly in front of her, already attacking the moment he appeared. With barely any time to react, she quickly ducked, dodging the blade by such a narrow margin that she could feel it pass through some of the strands of her hair.

Not wasting a moment, the pink haired girl quickly stood up straight and raised her fist in an uppercut. She knew it wouldn't hit, but that wasn't the point, since the motion of doing so created one long, thing spike that almost collided directly with Terre's chin. He back stepped enough to avoid it, before cutting it in half, his blade almost slitting Ciel's throat as it did. But that spike was not the last, as two more emerged from behind the girl and forced Terre to vanish again to avoid having both his lungs impaled.

"Your disappearing act won't save you..."

Not waiting for him to reappear, Ciel bent down and placed her hand on the ground. Rising back up, she pulled a long chain of crystals up, until they formed the rough shape and flexibility of a whip. Then, at exactly the moment he reappeared, she spun her entire body, the whip clashing against the blade, but rather than breaking like her previous crystals, these ones wrapped around the sword and forced it from his grip. He could only wince as the blade flew into a far away stone, before Ciel encased it in crystals.

"What are ya gonna do without your sword? You can't cut through my crystals without it, can you?" Ciel started gloating with sadistic glee. She was right about the efficiency of the weapon, with most weapons barely being able to scratch her crystals, let alone break them. But she didn't give him a chance to answer before she twirled the whip around him and pulled him close. With him in perfect range, she kicked him the back of the legs to force him to his knees, before again placing her hand on the ground. This time, crystals began growing around her arm, and he swore that some were even emerging from under her skin. Once her entire forearm was covered in a shimmering purple fist, she pulled her hand back up and swung to punch him.

Shifting his weight at just the right time, Terre avoided the attack, but the sharp edges of the newly formed fist carved a gash into his cheek. Unfortunately, with his arms still bound by the whip, this shift in weight knocked him onto his side, and he was unable to stand up again. With her looming over him, he knew it was time to use his secret weapon.

Slipping a remote out of his sleeve, he pressed a single button on it and tried to brace himself for the sound. Barely a few feet away, a blast went off, shattering several crystals instantly and knocking Ciel off her feet. Using the distraction, Terre used what time he had to force the whip off of him and get back up, just in time for Ciel to stand back up herself. Slamming her fist as she rose, several crystal swords emerged and began twirling around her, except for one, which melded into the knuckles of her impromptu gauntlet.

With a silent command, all of the remaining blades flew at Terre form as many directions as possible. Again he vanished before she could strike him, but using this power so many times in such a short space of time was starting to wear him out. He'd have to leave it for a little and use other means of attacking until he could get his energy back.

"What's wrong? Afraid to fight me? Not used to fighting someone who can fight back?" Her taunts rang through the air, and they were getting closer. Reaching into his coat with both arms, he pulled out exactly what he needed before jumping into her line of sight. It wasn't long before she dived behind one of her crystals as she discovered that he was now holding two large pistols, which seemed to be loaded with extra strong bullets, as they were damaging her crystals, though not nearly as much as the sword did.

Emptying each gun's magazine into the crystal, he almost blew straight through it, with one bullet stopping just an inch from pushing through to the other side and going into Ciel's back. Deciding that this wasn't the best place to wait anymore, the pink haired girl started moving while her opponent was reloading, creating a wall of crystal just as he finished reloading. It wasn't long before even more bullets entered it, causing several noticeable cracks to form with each shot.

The whole time he was firing, she grew angrier and angrier. Being stuck behind this wall, alone and with him just out of reach felt just like what she had fought so hard to escape from. And now that the wall was breaking, it was to beckon forth her death.

_"No. No no no no no NO NO NO!"_ She thought to herself over and over again. Her rage was beyond even her control now as crystals grew beneath her bandages, slowly covering her arms. As they did, even more grew from the earth, wrapping themselves around her legs. The gauntlet she wore was soon joined by another, this one even larger than before, and the crystals on her legs finally took the form of two giant legs, which more than doubled her height, with the gauntlets growing even larger to match their size.

Drawing her hand back, she backhanded the wall she had created, sending shards of crystal everywhere, like a swarm of simmering shrapnel. Terre was lucky to miss most of the larger pieces, but one particularly large one grazed his abdomen, and several smaller ones lodged themselves in his legs and arms, which he had used to shield his face and chest. None of them were enough to stop him fighting, but they still hurt a great deal, and caused him to flinch slightly. This moment of pain almost cost him dearly, as he only just noticed how close Ciel had gotten, and only just jumped back before she smashed the ground where he had been standing.

If he hadn't been so desperate to avoid her attacks, he might have been impressed with how easily she was moving her new limbs. But as it was, he couldn't afford to marvel at the achievement, and could instead only focus on dodging and trying to get a clear shot at her exposed body. Doing this was easier said than done, as her new limbs were large enough to work as shields, and the bullets never reached far enough to damage her real arms.

Thinking quickly, he changed his strategy to shooting at her crystal legs, hoping that if he fired at them enough, he might be able to shatter them and send her to the ground. Implementing his new plan, he fired so many bullets that he lost track of how many times he pulled the trigger, and had to reload more than once. He was worried that he might run out of ammo before anything useful happened. But just when he was about to give up, his efforts finally paid off, as the left leg cracked in two, leaving only a small amount of it still attached to her body.

The sudden change in balance quickly caused Ciel to fall backwards, no longer able to support herself. The impact of her landing caused the ground to shake slightly. Seizing the opportunity, Terre ran towards his opponent and readied his pistol, hoping to end this while she was dazed. But just as he reached her, he learned that she wasn't as stunned as he'd hoped, as she swung her large hand to grab him, lifting him up in the air once it had. The way it had grabbed him prevented him from using his guns, and with his powers still not ready, he was left helpless as Ciel pushed herself upright, a fury even greater than before on her face. "Kill you... I'm going to... Kill you..."

He could feel her grip tighten as she spoke. He highly suspected that this was it, and she was going to crush him right then. But in her rage and insanity she decided otherwise, or perhaps didn't even consider it. Instead, the crystal leg that had split off from the rest of her began approaching her once more, reconnecting itself when it did. To make matters worse, even more crystals poured from the ground and from her own body, intertwining with each other whenever the met. He could only watch as the monstrosity grew larger and larger each second, and as crystals covered every inch of Ciel, now even forming a protective dome around her chest and head. By the time it finished forming and stood up once again, he couldn't even see her past the layers she had encased herself in, only seeing the giant golem that used her as it's heart.

And the first thing it did was raise the hand clutching onto him and slammed him back into the ground, creating a massive shockwave and crater.

* * *

Even from what they had estimated was a safe distance, Shinji and the others could still feel the force of the impact and clearly see the giant as it towered over everything. Mao was practically drooling at the sight, while everyone else seemed paralyzed with shock. Everything was silent for several tense seconds, as nothing moved and even time itself seemed to stop.

Eventually though, Shinji snapped out of his shock and began running down to the battlefield. Almaz shouted after him. "Wait! It's way too dangerous down there!"

But Shinji was too far away to hear him, or if he did hear the warning, then he chose to ignore it. Since he offered no answer, Samantha chose to speak on his behalf. "I don't think he cares if it's dangerous. And neither do I."

Before anyone could stop her, she ran off as well, with the others gradually following her lead. Eventually all of them had followed for one reason or another, leaving Mao's group alone. Turning to their leader, Cross asked the all important question. "What should we do, boss?"

Mao grimaced. "Tch! I'm not going to let my test subjects destroy each other! I need them alive for when I cut them open!"

And without another word, he ran off himself, his own team quickly joining him.

* * *

"Haa, ah... ah..."Ciel was breathing heavily. She could feel her crystals pressing against the ground and cursed inwardly at what she wasn't feeling. He had disappeared again, just before she'd been able to flatten him. Clenching her hand into a fist, crushing a large amount of stone in the process, she began scanning all around her, trying to catch even a glimpse of where he was now.

Currently, he was hiding behind one of her own crystals, and was urgently trying to assemble something before she found him. He had been thankful that it hadn't been damaged while he was in her death grip, but that squeezing pain combined with his previous injuries were making everything painful right now, so a task that should have taken him a minute at most was taking considerably longer. But her couldn't afford to let his pain get the better of him, since this was his best chance for dealing with her.

_"Seems I can't drag this battle out much longer. I have to destroy the whole body at once."_

Thankfully, he was able to get everything prepared before she could find him. Now he just needed a clear shot and he had the perfect distraction. Pulling out the remote for the explosives again, he activated several bombs, drawing her attention in their direction. Since she now had her back to him, he quickly merged from his hiding place and aimed, sinking to one knee to steady his shot.

She turned around just in time to see him pull the trigger of his miniature bazooka.

The small rocket flew right into her protective dome and exploded with enough fore to rip it open, filling it with smoke and shrapnel. Unable to see past the smoke, Ciel failed to see him reload and fire another shot, this time at her leg. As expected, it shattered the leg completely, causing her to once again topple to the ground. However this time, Terre had made sure she fell in just the right place, a place where he had set an exceptionally large amount of bombs. The moment she landed, he detonated all of them, blowing her golem apart piece by piece.

When the smoke finally settled, he could see that Ciel was alive, but back in the state she had been at the beginning of their battle. One of her legs was damaged but she had forced herself to stand. Knowing that he was out of shots with his bazooka, Terre tossed it aside and reached for his handguns again. But when he pulled the triggers, only one bullet was fired, going straight into Ciel's already injured leg. Checking himself for ammo, Terre found none, or any other weapons he could use.

Surrounded by the flames of the explosion, bleeding from the leg, covered in ash and bruised from her impact, Ciel had finally reached the absolute peak of anger and couldn't stop herself from screaming. "WHY WON'T YOU DIE!? WHY DID YOU GET TO ESCAPE WHILE I WAS LEFT TO ROT!? WHY, BIG BRO!?"

Hearing her say that, Terre couldn't help but freeze. He hadn't heard anyone call him that in a long time. The words felt so foreign to him now that it took him a moment to remember when he used to hear them everyday.

"Don't tell me you forgot! Because we both know you can't forget your family! Or did you WANT to forget!? Abandon the memories, just like you abandoned everything else!" She screamed at him, as her own mind was flooded with memories she'd buried for so long.

Along with the grudge she kept bottled up for a long time.

* * *

_In a bedroom, a black-haired girl wearing a white nightgown and cross-shaped necklace was sitting upright on a bed, staring at the sunset that shined through the window. Today was supposed to be a special day for her−since her brother promised her to take her outside on her birthday._

_Since birth, her health was rather frail and she was always sickly; even when sent to the orphanage with her brother, she still finds herself confine to her bed most of the time, her health not improving a bit. But there are times she is able to go outside, and she was hoping she could just for today._

_However, her condition worsen last night and as such, that wish can't be granted today._

_"…" The little girl sighed, she knows she can go outside anytime she got better, but at least she could be well on her birthday…_

_"I'm back!" A familiar young boy's voice interrupted her thoughts and it helped brighten her mood._

_"Welcome back, Big Bro!" A bright smile formed on her previously sullen face._

_The boy approached her bed, and it seemed he was trying to hide something behind his back. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to stay behind and helped out the others."_

_It was like her brother; he wouldn't turn down anyone need for help._

_Her brother then present to her small parcel with a cute ribbon, the patterned wrapping was done in a rather clumsy manner. She looked at her brother and noticed he looked a bit embarrassed._

_"Wow! It's so adorable."_

_"Sorry about the sloppy packaging. I hope you like what's inside though." He smiled, handing her the present._

_Despite the careless wrapping, she tried to unwrap it gently in order to not damage it−since her brother gave it his all in this._

_"Waaah~! It's so pretty~" she exclaimed, holding up her unwrapped present; a handmade black stringed necklace with faux roses on the string. "I've never seen this flower before. What is it?"_

_"That's a rose. They appear in other colors besides those." He answered._

_"A rose…"_

_"Want me to put it on you?"_

_"Sure!" He soon carefully wrapped each layer of the string and fixing each rose into place until it looks like she was wearing a necklace with a bunch of roses on her neck. It made a great match with the other one she was wearing._

_"What do you think?"_

_"I love it! Thank you so much, Big Bro!" She said cheerfully, which he patted her head while smiling._

_"I'm not the only one who you should thank. It was also thanks to ######, that I was able to finish this."_

_"Really? I can't wait to show it to ### and everyone else!" She soon becomes quiet. "Hey, Big Bro? Do you think I can go outside and wear this?"_

_The boy took time to think. He knows that she wanted to go outside again and was supposed to until her health turned worse. He can't stand her being sad._

_He soon show a kind smile. "Don't worry. You can't go outside today, but there's always next time. When you get better, I'll take you to the playground again. You can wear that necklace along with the other then."_

_"Really? I can?" She asked, her eyes gleaming with hope._

_"Sure. It's a promise!" He answered with confidence, puffing his chest in pride. Though it resulted in his sister laughing at this._

_"Ha ha ha ha… S-So it's a promise then?" She lifted the pinky of her hand._

_"Definitely. We'll go outside together." He did the same, and both form a pinky promise− between siblings._

_Though she felt her illness left her incapable of doing anything, her loving brother was always there for her._

_He_ _r brother; so strong, so healthy, so loved…_

* * *

_"Don't let them get away!" A scientist ordered to the rest of the guards through the communicator, as they ran through the corridors of the institute; heavily armed._

_The head guard took heed of that order as another set of orders came in. "Secure the perimeter! Get the security systems up again and close the exits! We can't let those test subjects escape!"_

_The sound of the siren filled the entire facility along with the flashing of red, droning out the sound of light footsteps pattering through the cold corridors, followed by heavy footsteps after them._

_A little girl in white hospital garbs was running with an older boy, her hand held tightly in his as he guided her, while they ran from their pursers− running with all their strength and energy to reach for the exit._

_"B-Big bro! I can't run anymore!" The girl wheezed, her breathing obviously ragged. She had never ran this fast in her life and her lungs felt like they were going to burst soon._

_"Just hang on. We're almost there, so don't let go." Her brother quickly assured her, tightening his grip on her hand, and increased his speed pace further._

_All she could do is save her breath for running as she's dragged, with the men enclosing on them. Her brother promised that they'll get out of this facility together; to regain the freedom that was stolen from them. And today was that day, their only chance to escape._

_Security was lax for reasons she doesn't fully understand, but all she knows was that her brother took advantage of it and here they are, escaping from this cold steel prison− to the outside world._

_This is it._

_No more painful experiments._

_No more strange injections._

_No more pain._

_And that open exit in their view was a flicker of hope._

_But like all shards of hope, it's bound to be crush._

_"All systems are now back online. All gates set to lock down."_

_The announcement from the speakers mix with the alarm as the system came back on, the large mechanical door starting to close._

_Her worn out legs soon start to slow down by themselves as she hears the heavy footsteps closing in on them. The sound of them frightens the girl; reminding her of what would come if they fail to escape and what they would do to them._

_But her brother won't let that happen to them anymore. He promised that he'll−_

_"Ah!" The girl cried, for she lost her footing and trip. She was going to fall. She was going to hinder they're escape. But if her brother can pull her up, they still might have a chance. She held onto her brother's hand tight for that chance._

_But as if that one moment paused a bit, as soon as she tighten her grip for reassurance, all she grabbed was the air as she fell down._

_All of a sudden the hand that was hold her own was gone. So was her brother._

_"Big bro…? Where are−" Confusion flooded the little girl's mind until she looked up at the direction of the exit, what she saw both shocked… and betrayed her._

_She didn't want to believe it. It had to lie. She wanted to run towards him, but the strength in her legs had seeped out. All she could do was raise her hand, reaching out to her brother and cried out to him._

_"H-Help me, Big bro…! Don't leave me…!"_

_At that distance her brother could hear her plea. She shouted as loud as she can so that he would hear. But he didn't turned his head and came for her. He continued running to the exit he was near to, ignoring everything around him− even his beloved sister's cries for help._

_You promised. You would protect me. You would save me. You promised you won't leave me._

_You promised to be my hero._

_She didn't know what just happened, but she saw her brother now far from her, and now walking out of the closing mechanical doors while it still had the gap needed for him to go through._

_All she could was stare at his fading figure that was outside through teary eyes as the door completely shuts down−cutting off all connections to the outside world and the brother who left her, leaving the little girl alone as the guards behind caught up to her._

_You promised, Big bro…_

_"BIG BRO…!"_

* * *

"That night, did all the memories we shared mean nothing!? You claimed to love me, but you left the first chance you got!" Ciel continued to scream in a mix of rage and grief.

Her words were so strong, bitter and rage filled, that even the normally stoic Terre was frozen in shock by what she said. He only regained his senses when sharp crystals spikes were shoot at him, that he had to dodge them.

He had always suspected how she must have felt about him if they ever met again, but the reality was worse than he could have ever expected. There was barely any sign of who she had used to be; now she was just an incarnation of anger named Ciel.

But her hatred was not solely directed just at him… But at the bitterness of her life. "So you're complaining about it right now?" Despite his initial hesitation, Terre's stoicism returns. And hearing her always better brother in this state was sickening.

"Haa... ah, ah... Don't mock me...! Dammit why now!? Why, Big Bro!? Why are you always the one...!" She kept screaming. Even when she was at her limit, she kept firing feeble attacks at him, ones that he could dodge without effort.

"Why was it different for both of us...?! We're siblings of the same blood, but I had nothing! I was trapped in that room while my skin was always cut open and was treated like an object! I almost died every day! I always looked at myself in the mirror, wanting to die. But I was scared of dying, and I didn't want to disappear by myself…!" The anger in her voice soon started to quiver, as if she was about to cry; the memories of those lonely days haunted her.

"Because my brother promised to be my hero. Even when you left me, I always believed that you would come back and save me...! But you never came. You just kept looking forward, not turning back to notice the miserable girl." More crystal spikes were fired at him, yet still none hit.

"Back then I used to love you, but all my love died when they took me back to that lab! They tore it out of me day after day, while I prayed you'd come back! Now there's nothing left in me but hate! Hate for the world! Hate for shitty scientists and their fucking needles! And HATRED OF YOU!"

In the entire rant, she blamed everyone for creating her as a monster, including her brother. And he knew it was his fault.

"That's right... I was your big bro... And I let you down..." He muttered to himself.

But…

"... So what about it?" He answered coldly to Ciel, unmoved by her rant.

"What…?"

"These things can happen to anyone, not just you. And it's not like crying right now after what you did is going to change anything, and besides, being a monster doesn't sound so bad." He bluntly answered her honest and cold. No compassion, no care.

And it just irritated Ciel more. "Big Bro… Because you're always like that…!" Only anger was presented and she would had summoned more crystal had her strength not left her.

"So that's how you see it. You've got a point; I just help people whether I understand or not, and I probably don't know your pain or how much you suffer. Or if I can understand at all. That's why…"

Looking down at his wrist, he saw the remote for the explosives. But he'd used up all of the explosives already.

All except for one. The one in his jacket.

"I can't make it right, but I can stop my mistakes from hurting anyone else..."

And then, he rushed forward, clutching the remote in his hands.

_"Big bro, why do you want to be a hero?"_

_"You're too afraid to even try and save her!"_

He couldn't afford to stop.

_"I made this for you big bro!"_

_"If you kill the only family you have left, then you will truly feel pain. And you will never stop feeling it."_

He couldn't afford to hesitate.

_"Look at that big bro!"_

_"I'd do anything for that chance, and you'd throw it away because you're afraid you'll fail. In my eyes, that makes you a coward."_

He couldn't afford to remember.

_"I love you big bro!"_

_"Can you live with that?"_

And above all, he couldn't afford to let go of that remote.

But…

_"… It seems I can't."_

* * *

_"… I'm going to die… here?"_

What happened next was so surprising that Ciel couldn't even begin to comprehend it. All she could figure out was that she suddenly felt much warmer as strange sounds echoed in her ears, but made as much sense as static. It was if all her senses were numbed and time held no meaning.

The only sound that made sense was that of the remote dropping to the floor.

Her arms were pressed against her side. Her knees had buckled under her and she was now kneeling on the floor, with something enveloping her.

"I'm sorry... for being a failure of a brother." The thing said in her ear, its voice sounding pained and uncomfortable, yet honest. But it couldn't be honest. The words made no sense. She didn't understand. She COULDN'T understand. He couldn't be saying that. He would never say that.

_He would never say that._

_He would never say that._

_He would never say that._

_He would never say that._

_He would never say that._

_He would never say that!_

And as she repeated that thought over and over again, her anger was replaced by panic. She tried to break his grip on her, knowing that this must be some sort of trick to kill her while she's confused. "Get off of me! GET OFF ME!"

When she yelled, a thin crystal burst through the ground and ran straight through his chest, scraping against his spine as it did. And warm, red blood started flowing from his chest, soaking her dress. The pain was immeasurable, easily hurting more than anything he had ever felt before. But he did not scream, nor did he move.

Instead, he hugged her tighter. "Go ahead... Hurt me as much as you want... God knows how much I deserve it..." Terre breathed a mix of relief and quiet warmth. The first words her brother spoke were not in his cold and emotionless tone. It was the voice he spoke as a child. And the one she always dreamed of hearing again.

The voice of Terre, her brother who was sarcastic, but warm and gentle.

"…Big… Bro…?" All Ciel could do was mutter in shock and confusion at her brother's action; asking him why would he do this. Yet she soon softly embrace her brother, the same brother who she pierced into the chest.

"… So in the end, I really can't lecture Aragaki anymore."

Nothing made sense to her. The man she'd been trying to kill for abandoning her was letting her live? He was sorry? Why? But the biggest mystery to her was...

_"Why do I feel scared...?"_

He smiled at her as best he could, before glancing at her neck. "You're still...wearing that...? I'm glad..."

He paused to cough up some blood as she looked at the necklace she wore; one adorned in roses. _"He...gave this to me... Why am I...?"_

"I'm glad... At least...I got to see...that...you were still...alive..." And without another word, he collapsed into her arms, motionless. Her hands were still frozen in place, trying to hug someone who's no longer there.

And despite everything he had done to her, when she felt him slump against her, her heart stopped. She didn't make a noise, and that just made it all the clearer that he had stopped breathing. Adjusting him so he fell into her lap, she placed a hand over his heart.

Nothing.

"...Why?" She asked to his still form, though who she wanted an answer from seemed unknown, if she wanted one at all. Most likely, she already knew the answers to all her questions.

Why is this happening? Because she stabbed him. Why did she do this? Because she was angry. Why doesn't she feel angry anymore? Because she doesn't want to be angry anymore. Why does she feel sad?

Because her big brother is dead.

"I… what have I…?"

Where did it go all wrong? There were people who loved and embraced her. People who wanted to help her.

But she destroyed it all by herself.

"….AH. AH, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…!"

No longer able to control her emotions, Ciel, drenched in her brother's blood, screamed at the sight; a myriad of crystals emerging and shattering as she did.

* * *

Shinjiro and the others had finally arrived, but the unstable ground made it impossible to approach her without being killed. All they could do was wait for her to let it all out.

It took at least a minute for the environment to settle down, and for Ciel to stop screaming and look down at Terre again, no life reflecting from her eyes. "I wanted this for years... It was all that kept me going... So why, now that I've finally done it, do I wish I'd never wanted it...?"

"Ciel…"

Before she could continue, she heard something drop to the ground in front of her. Whipping her head up, she saw a man in a ragged white cloth with red jeans. Without a word, he knelt and poured something down Terre's throat. The liquid shimmered as it entered his mouth, and it seemed to practically glow with magic. For a few painful second, nothing happened. Then, the dark haired man's wound began to close slightly, not enough to be considered safe, but enough to slow blood loss. Just after that finished, Terre's body stretched and his back arched as far as it could, before he collapsed once more. But once he did, a faint sound could be heard.

It was weak, and not nearly frequent enough, but he was breathing again.

"Reckless fool..." The man muttered, before lifting Terre onto his back. Ciel merely gazed at her brother in shock, unable to comprehend that he was alive again. Looking down at her, the man extended his hand. "He's alive, but if we want him to live, he needs proper treatment. Do you want that?"

She gazed in silence as he spoke, before finally reaching forward and accepting his hand. Carefully, he pulled her upright and began leading her away. The spectators were finally able to get close just as the two started walking away, Ciel limping badly, and the other man letting Terre's blood pour onto him.

"Who's that?" Shinji asked, having never seen the man before. The others shared his look of confusion, though Almaz tilted his head in confusion, swearing there was something familiar about him, but from this angle he wasn't sure.

Unfortunately for them, someone else wasn't paying attention to the man who was rapidly fading from sight. Instead, they could only focus on the image of Ciel clutching Terre's lifeless form. That sight drew forth memories in them, and seeing him be saved so easily caused a dark feeling to grow inside them. And all of this came to a head, when a familiar voice rang out from behind them.

**_"Must the world insist on mocking me?"_ **

Almost everyone turned at this, and were shocked by what they saw. The only ones who didn't was the one who had the most reason to fear what had spoken.

**_"Why does a blood thirsty psychopath get a chance to save someone so easily, when I had to throw everything away to save someone far more deserving of life? It's not fair."_ **

Finally, the person who shared this creature's voice turned, and came face to face with a girl with red hair, golden eyes, and an elegant white dress.

**_"Isn't that right, me?"_ **


	48. Chapter 45 - The Shadow of Tragedy

**Chapter 45 - The Shadow Of Tragedy**

* * *

It wasn't hard to figure out who the women standing in front of them was. Her hair, face and clothes were a perfect replica of Chidori's own, with the only difference being her dark aura and golden eyes. Similarly, it wasn't hard for the original to guess why her double had appeared now, much like how Kirijo's had not long ago. Seeing Ciel clutching a seemingly dead Terre had reminded her of when she had been forced to hold the cold body of someone she loved. Beyond that though, she was still attempting to figure out why this doppelganger stood before her now, and what she would say.

"What do you mean..?" Chidori asked her doppelganger, figuring that standing in silence wouldn't get them anywhere.

 ** _"Don't play dumb with me. 'Oh, how I wish that a miracle like that could happen to me, so I wouldn't have to die a pointless death~'"_** It spoke calmly, before descending into a mocking tone. Extending her hands upwards and gazing into the void above them, her voice went from purely mocking to completely sinister. **_"Didn't that cross your mind when you saw that 'glorious' scene?"_**

"...! That's...!" Chidori was taken aback by the accusation, not entirely sure how to respond.

 ** _"You never had a reason to live before, and no-one to miss if you died. Even when you were part of Strega, you were alone..."_** The creature started laughing, a sharp contrast to how it had practically whispered up till this point. **_"But you thought it was ok, because you had your dear friend Medea! What a bunch of bullshit!"_**

That last comment was the first to really get under Chidori's skin, and the anger it produced seeped clearly into her voice. "What's so funny about that?! Medea...she's my friend...! I won't forgive you for that!"

As if in response to Chidori's outburst, the Shadow lost all emotion and returned to its original stoic expression. **_"...Oh really? So you never knew... That Medea actually hates you?"_**

If Chidori was angry before, then now she was furious. "Lies! That can't be! Medea would never —"

 ** _"You're the one who's lying, albeit to yourself! Why do you think she's always trying to choke you to death!? Why are you forced to take those damned pills!? Face it, she's wanted you dead from the beginning!"_** The Shadow yelled before regaining its composure. It giggled slightly, but it sounded increasingly sinister. **_"Oh, but you couldn't even grant that wish. You kept slashing your wrists and they just healed back. And even when you gave up every drop of life in you, you're still here, clinging to your pitiful existence! Why don't you just die? It's not like anyone needs you around! The world is better off without you!"_**

"You don't know that! I already had my right to live stolen from me," All of Chidori's yelling was starting to sound frantic, like a trapped animal. Taking a deep breath, she made one more attempt to hide her emotions. "And I've given my life for another. I won't regret that as long as he's alive!"

Standing behind the original, Shinjiro kept the others from intervening. Since his last experience with a Shadow of this nature had led to an ally gaining a Persona, he figured that staying back might allow Chidori to regain hers. And even if it didn't, dealing with her own personal trauma would no doubt help. Still, at this rate they'd almost certainly have to fight it in order for Chidori to survive, and most of them knew it.

Somehow, that seemed to be exactly the thing the Shadow had been waiting for, smiling as she heard her other selfs defence. **_"Is that what you think? Then tell me, why did you sacrifice your life for him?"_**

"That's because... I... I love him...!" Chidori said, hesitating slightly, and the Shadow would make sure that she would regret that hesitation.

 ** _"'What I fear most is... attachment.'"_** The Shadow said calmly, clutching her chest as she did. Looking closely, a trail of blood leaked from beneath her hands, as if she was covering a wound. The original could only look at it in surprise, both for its wound and its words. The creature laughed at this reaction, a laugh that grew louder and louder. **_"Why are you surprised? You said these words. Remember? That's right... You didn't do it out of love. You did it out of the fear of being abandoned again. That's why you thought it would be better off that they live while you die in their place. You only did it for your own selfish reason. Isn't that why you never wanted to get close to anyone? Why you never felt anything as you killed another living being? Was it easier to live that way? But now look at you... You said you have no regrets, but why did you envy that psychotic little bitch when she got her happy ending?"_**

In response to the Shadow's rant, Chidori could only mutter out a weak, "Shut up…"

**_"But it's not just her! You'll hate and judge anyone who gets what you never could, even if you didn't do anything to deserve it!"_ **

"...No."

**_"It gets better! Now you think you can reunite with your precious Junpei and have a happy ending, right? Are you sure you're not just doing it so you won't feel lonely again? After all, you don't want a killer Persona as a friend, right? You only want someone who actually gives a damn about you!"_ **

"No...!"

**_"Then again, you might fear attachment again. You'd probably try to kill him again, just like before. Oh wait... Wasn't that the reason why you're dead to begin with?"_ **

"No! How can you say such things...? What do you know about me!?" Chidori yelled, pointing accusingly at the duplicate. _"How does she—"_

 ** _"'Know'? I know everything about you."_** Chidori could only stare as the creature finished her thought, even though she hadn't spoken any of it aloud. **_"Are you senile? Why do I know you better than anyone? Why do I know everything about Medea? That's because I'm Medea. No... I'm you."_**

"What...!? That's...!"

**_"Even when you were happy with someone that you— no, someone that WE loved, you threw that chance away out of the fear of pain and screwed it up! Face it, we're better off DEAD!"_ **

"NO! THAT"S A LIE! YOU'RE LYING! MEDEA WOULD NEVER SAY THAT...! YOU DON'T KNOW ME! YOU'RE NOT MEDEA AND YOU'RE NOT ME!"

The Shadow stood silently for a few seconds, it's wide eyes staring straight into Chidori's own. And then, with it's gaze never breaking, it began laughing, as it was engulfed in a swarm of black and red energy, it's eyes remaining the only thing visible through the cloud. _**"Not anymore! Now I can live my own life!"**_

Everyone could feel that the aura of this Shadow was stronger than the previous one. Some were struggling to keep their footing as the force of it pushed against them. And just like with Kirijo, Chidori collapsed from the force of it. Some of those present made a mental note about how when someone's Shadow enter its stronger form, it most likely drains that persons energy in some way. Everyone else was too focussed on how the aura expanded in all direction, the golden orbs of the beast floating higher and higher.

When the dark energy finally dispersed, they could see the dark visage of their enemy. The part they assumed was its main body, was a skeleton with elongated limbs. Most of its bones were clearly those of a human, but its skull was that of a ram. In its left hand it bore a fire and in its right was a dagger, with a blade that looked like a rippling wave. The skeletal creature was leaning backwards at an uncomfortable looking angle, with the middle of its spine rested on the back of a large, multi-tiered fountain, its water replaced with a deep red blood. Finally, as its body stretched, red lines made of some sort of mist or energy covered its arms and legs, while a similar black coloured substance enshrouded its chest. Whatever that force was, it was thick enough to be clear, but thin enough to clearly reveal the bones beneath. _**"Finally, I can exist for me and me alone!"**_

"Figures..." Shinji muttered darkly. He'd hoped that Chidori would be able to control herself and accept her own faults and fears, but, as usual in his life, it was too much to ask. Now he'd have to fight the Shadow into submission and hope that Chidori had learned something by the time she woke up. So to that end, he wasted no time summoning Castor, and ordering him to charge. Castor's steed quickly clashed with Shadow Chidori's blade, locking each other in place. Everyone else in his group took this as the sign to attack, with most circling around to attack the Shadow from every direction. The only exceptions were Mei, who thought it was a good idea to charge directly at the enemy and barely avoided being burned by the Shadow's fire, Kirijo, who followed his leader's example and summoned Heracles, ordering it to attack the Shadow from a different direction to Castor, and Samantha, who had grabbed Chidori's unconscious form and dragged her as far away from the Shadow as possible.

Mao and his group on the other hand, were being much less helpful. "*Pant* *Pant* Fascinating...! A creature that can assume the shape of another and even read their minds...! And then to turn into such a beautiful beast...!"

"W-what kind of monster is that!?" Almaz stuttered out, clearly terrified at the sight.

"We don't have time to ask such questions!" Champloo said, his tone more urgent than usual. "If we don't turn down the heat on this oven, our precious meals will get overcooked!"

This comment made most people snap out of their surprise and grab their weapons. "Y-you're right Master. We can't just let them fight it all by themselves!"

"Pfft. Why should we?" Mao said, his good mood quickly evaporating. "It's just another problem caused by humans."

"Don't be stubborn Mao! They need our help!" Beryl snapped at him, though he didn't have the decency to respond. He only spoke again when Cross leaned into his ear and whispered something.

"If they fight it, their scientist will get all the samples from it."

"WHAT!?" Mao yelled in fury, before drawing his sword. "There's no way they'll cheat me out of this data!"

And without another word, he charged, leaving the rest of his group to their own devices. As they too got ready for battle, Sapphire turned to Cross. "How are you so good at convincing Sir Mao to do things?"

Cross shrugged, before firing two shots without aiming. "Practise."

Had anyone been watching the trajectory of the two bullets, they would have noticed just what Cross had managed to do. The first shot flew straight into the Shadow's left eye and detonated. This wasn't enough to injure the Shadow, but the sudden force did make it jerk back slightly and temporarily blinded it in that eye. What no one noticed though, for it seemed impossible to predict, was that when Shadow Chidori moved from the impact, her right eye moved directly into the path of the second bullet, causing it to be blinded as well.

With its eyes useless, the beast could no longer lock blades with Castor efficiently, and the Persona quickly overpowered it and slammed its full force into her skeletal body. With her temporarily stunned from the force, he raised his hands above his head and quickly began slamming them into her chest, hoping to cause as much damage as possible before she recovered from her blindness. Lower down, Mei had capitalized on the advantage given to her by Castor to climb onto the fountain's lowest level and was trying to stick her spear into the Shadow's skull. She got the feeling that standing in the blood was a bad idea, but trying to attack from the thin edge to the fountain without touching it was proving difficult, as there were numerous times she almost fell in and completely missed her target as well.

While she did this, the others either began attacking from a safe distance with long range attacks, or following her example and trying to jump on the fountain to attack her personally. Sadly, most were unable to launch a successful attack before the Shadow's vision returned, and she swatted them aside, pushing Castor back as she did. Groaning in anger, she raised her blade and with it broke open her own fountain, releasing the blood contained within everywhere, numerous fighters being drenched in the red substance. By itself the blood seemed harmless but disgusting, with many wishing they had been a little further away. The threat emerged a moment later, when the Shadow dipped its flame into the liquid, spreading it to everything that had been touched by the fountains contents. Many yelled in pain as they felt their bodies suddenly wrapped in fire, desperately trying to put it out. Only Shinji, Kirijo, Samantha and the long range fighters were spared, and most of them then made it their priority to put out the flames engulfing their allies.

While this happened, Shinji knew that he couldn't afford to stop attacking, otherwise the Shadow would just attack again while the others were unable to defend themselves. So he ordered Castor to strike from above, hoping it would be harder for her to block from that angle, and that gravity might make his attack hit with even greater force. Again though, she raised her blade in time and held the Persona back, only this time she reached down with her other hand, dipping her fingers into the blood again, before jerking them up, splashing Castor with some of the red liquid. Milliseconds later, the Persona was ablaze with ethereal fire, and his wielder felt all of the pain of it concentrated inside his skull. It took barely a few seconds for his concentration to break and for Castor to vanish. Thankfully, the Persona disappearing alleviated the pain in his mind, but he knew know that using Castor again might be risky.

Kirijo saw the attack on his leaders Persona and decided it might be best to dismiss his own for now, drawing his pistol instead and launching a few shots off at the enemy. Something about having a Persona made his bullets more effective against the Shadow, as they quickly drew its attention and even seemed to hurt it a little. When the Shadow turned to face him, it quickly figured out that he was too far away to attack conventionally, so it came up with an alternate plan. Reaching into the blood again, it pulled the fire from it, simultaneously extinguishing all the fire on the other combatants. But it wasn't long till everyone saw that a strange black substance had been left where the fires had burned.

It wasn't ash, in fact it's texture was more like a kind of slime. What was even more noticeable though was that the substance started moving and mixing together, until it formed several dark bodies. Each of these bodies resembled a large disc with a man suspended upside down on it. Each figure wore a mask with an upside down face and the roman symbol for 12 printed on them. These Shadows certainly looked stranger than the ones that Shadow Kirijo had summoned, but anyone who had been in that fight knew that they were probably just as dangerous.

This assumption was proven true when the Shadows began spinning at high velocities and charging at everyone they could. Everyone moved to dive out of the way whenever these things approached. Shadow Chidori's laughter could be heard as her minions kept everyone on the defensive, ensuring they couldn't even try to hurt her. Those with bladed weapons tried to hit the enemies as they flew past, but it was impossible to tell how effective they were and any attempts the gunners made to attack the leader would be blocked by the lesser Shadows. No matter what, they seemed to be in an unwinnable situation.

Meanwhile, just safe from the battle, Samantha had placed Chidori on a rock, one that was too high for the spinning Shadows to attack her from. Looking over the battlefield, she could clearly see how her various allies were struggling, with Aki and Saiduq both just trying to flip out of the way of attacks, while Masaru and Mei were both stuck trying to use their weapons to knock the Shadows away before the were able to slam into them. Kirijo was trying to reach higher grounds so that he could get a clearer shot, but the Shadows made it difficult for him to find an appropriate place to ascend. Shinji kept trying to approach Shadow Chidori, but was constantly forced back and got a new injury every time he tried. The only one who was safe from the assault was Damia, who was floating above the battle, but she was trying to keep the others healed, so she wasn't launching any attacks.

Mao's group wasn't doing much better, with most being forced back to where they had started. Only Mao and Sapphire were crazy enough to keep pressing forward, but they were having as much luck with it as Shinji was, meaning that currently no one was making any progress. She needed to do something, but currently she wasn't sure what she COULD do. Behind her, Chidori was mumbling in her sleep, but she couldn't make anything out.

Things went even worse when Shinji almost reached Shadow Chidori, before being struck with the full force of an attack, knocking him so far back that Samantha was able to grab him and pull him to the platform she was on. He coughed up a little blood when she finally let go of him, before he looked up and spoke to her, his voice weaker than usual. "Those things are too damned fast. We need a plan if we want to win this."

"But what can we-" Samantha stopped herself just as an idea entered her head. Looking around at the floating platforms and the remaining crystals from the previous battle, she decided on something she could do. "Wait here."

Before he could protest, Samantha ran to the edge of the platform and jumped to one nearby, propelling herself back into a run the moment she landed. And when she reached the end of that platform, she jumped to another, and another after that. Finally, she jumped onto the sides of one of the many crystals, and used it to push herself towards the centre of the battle, landing on the Shadow's chest. The Shadow felt something land on it and tilted its head up to look at the intruder. Samantha smiled at it briefly, before releasing a furious screech and clawing at its eyes, wrapping her legs around the Shadows neck so it couldn't throw her off. The attacks weren't enough to harm the Shadow, at least not in any long term way, but having something attack its eyes seemed to discomfort it and distract it from the rest of the fight.

Even better though, was that her Shadow minions decided that dealing with the one attacking their master was more important than continuing to attack their actual targets, and they all closed in on Samantha, not realising that they couldn't get high enough to actually be of any help, and instead just slammed into their master's fountain repeatedly. With their own enemies temporarily distracted, everyone prepared to launch a counter attack, starting with getting the gunners, healers and magic users somewhere high up where they can perform their jobs in peace. All the while Samantha refused to let the Shadow throw her from her place around its neck, and continued to scratch its eyes to draw its attention.

 _ **"Enough of this!"**_ Shadow Chidori bellowed, throwing the fire back into the fountain. This time, since the blood had turned into the Shadows, it was they that were lit on fire, not her enemies. The minion Shadows burned to a crisp, with the blood they were born from returning to the fountain. Then, with her now free hand, Shadow Chidori grabbed Samantha and pulled her from where she had stuck herself, before throwing her in a random direction. Thankfully, she did not fly off into the void, but unfortunately she did still hit a large rock and was knocked unconscious.

The sight was painful to see, particularly for a few members present. Saiduq in particular looked like he could kill the Shadow with the sheer force of his anger. Angry himself at seeing an ally hurt, Shinji yelled out an order to his allies. "Damia, go heal Samantha! Kirijo, summon your Persona! Everyone else, charge it together!"

None of them waited before following those orders, as everyone who was able rushed forward, and the two Persona users each summoned their respective other selves again. Mao, not one to be upstaged, signalled for his allies to do the same, with any long range fighter instantly launching a barrage on the enemy as he led the melee fighters forwards, attacking from a different angle to those in the other group.

Not having the time for it's fire attack or to summon more Shadows, Shadow Chidori began swinging her dagger in self defence, though her aim left much to be desired, as it struck no one. One by one, all reached their target and unleashed the strongest attack they could, be it a series of quick cuts or a particularly forceful punch. The attacks varied from barely effective to fairly efficient, but none were quiet as strong as they'd hoped. Still they gathered around her, with none taking an injury from the assault. The Shadow cursed in rage, before breathing deeply.

Observing it as it did, everyone could see that the Shadow was absorbing blood from the fountain. It wasn't long till Shinji figured out what was happening. _"Of course. Chidori's Persona could heal herself, so of course her Shadow can do the same."_

Now that she was healed, Shadow Chidori's aim improved, and she quickly began hitting combatants with her large blade. If they were not as resilient as they were or slightly slower when blocking the attack, it would have easily cleaved them in half. As it was, they were injured and flung in all directions, but they were still alive. Now free from the annoying presence of the Demons, the Shadow returned its hate filled gaze to the two Personas. Recognising the two as her biggest threats, the Shadow threw it's dagger straight at Heracles, striking him in the chest and knocking him back and sending a sharp pain through Kirijo.

With only Castor left to engage her in melee combat and all the distant based fighters proving inefficient in causing significant damage, the Shadow waited for her opponent to attack, once again pulling the flame from the fountain and brandishing it in front of herself. Shinjiro knew that charging in blindly wouldn't help but no matter what direction Castor moved in, the Shadow moved as well, making it hard to tell what she was planning. Without a better plan, Shinji decided to throw caution to the wind, and had Castor charge, hoping that his speed would counter-act whatever she had planned.

Alas, having the Persona charge was just what the Shadow wanted and before he could reach her, her entire body began convulsing, with the fountain shaking each time she did, spilling blood everywhere. Just as the Persona was within reach of her, the black section of her body stretched outwards, and twisted into hundreds of black hands. Each hand wrapped themselves around the giant figure, holding it in place. Once the Persona was stationary, the arms began stretching, pulling bodies from Shadow Chidori's midsection, revealing dozens of misshapen Shadows, each with limbs of different lengths. Once fully revealed, the many Shadows separated from their creator, dragging Castor to the ground as they did.

No matter what order Shinjiro gave, Castor was unable to move enough to break free. All the while, the Shadow absorbed more blood, healing itself even more. Shinjiro racked his brain for a plan, but nothing came to mind. Luckily for him, someone else thought of something. Having recovered from his earlier pain, Kirijo willed Heracles to fly straight up and to send a blast of ice straight down. The attack wasn't very strong, but it had its intended effect, as the cold ice froze the blood solid, preventing Shadow Chidori from absorbing it, even freezing some of it to the sides of her body, locking her in place. Then, before it could try to thaw itself, Heracles lifted the whole Shadow, fountain and all over its head and carried it into the air.

Witnessing this, the young Persona user came up with a plan. Dismissing Castor again, Shinjio pulled his axe out of his bag and threw it into the swarm of Shadows, cleaving through a great number of them quickly. Seeing just how effective the attack had been, he knew that these Shadows must not be very strong, and couldn't help but smile at his good fortune. With sword in hand, he charged forwards, cutting at any Shadow that got near him, dispatching many of them. The Shadows weren't his goal, not that they needed to know that, as the charging warrior ran past most of them. Then, once he felt that he had all of them behind him, he made the familiar card appear again, and struck it without hesitation, prompting Castor to appear again and soar into the sky before the Shadows could grab it again.

Seeing Castor ascend, Kirijo finally ordered Heracles to not only release the Shadow, but to hurl it downwards at full force. Still frozen, the Shadow hurtled downwards, screaming in anger the whole time. As it fell, it spun in the air, seeing the world twist around it. It did not reach the ground, and the last thing it saw before its body was struck with enough force to shatter the ice covered fountain it was bound to, was the firm fist of the charging Persona colliding with her face. The force undid all of the healing the Shadow had performed on itself, and forced it to revert back to its weaker form, once again resembling the young redhead as it hurtled towards the ground, landing surprisingly softly considering the height.

Dismissing their Personas and sighing in relief, the two men walked over to the Shadow, who looked unharmed despite everything. With the battle over and all remaining Shadows vanishing, the remaining combatants picked themselves up, some clutching painful looking wounds, and began to gather around the enemy, no longer sure what to do. Not long after, Mei approached it, her blade raised for a killing blow. Shinji grabbed the handle of the spear before she could do anything though, and she turned to glare at him. "Why should we spare it?"

"Because it dying won't get us anywhere." Honestly, Mei's attitude toward the Shadow was worrying. He knew that Shadows were evil and had no qualms about killing one, but he'd seen what good had come of Kirijo accepting his own Shadow and so had Mei. Thinking back on it, he remembered that she seemed particularly insistent on killing Shadow Kirijo as well. He began to wonder if there was some sort of reason for this, but he was quickly distracted by some loud noises from the other side of the Shadow.

"Just a quick dissection!" Mao yelled as his teammates clung to his limbs, trying to keep him from plunging a scalpel into the creature. Temporarily forgetting Mei, Shinjiro dashed over to Mao, trying to get the scalpel away from him, as a few of the others stood by Mei, just in case she tried anything again. Mao was quite reluctant to let go of his scientific instrument, prompting a loud argument between himself and the people restraining him, drawing the attention of almost everyone present, with the exceptions of the injured Samantha and Damia, who was still healing the Nekomata.

The squabbling was interrupted by a groan from behind them. The sound had come from Chidori, now conscious and approaching the collapsed Shadow. "That was unpleasant."

"You don't know the half of it." Masaru said plainly in response. Chidori ignored him and knelt down next to the Shadow.

"When you took my strength and knocked me out, I started dreaming. Did you see what I dreamed Medea?" The Shadow shook it's head, its wide eyes never straying from its other self. "I saw him. Junpei."

The Shadow smiled slightly, and for the first time it seemed genuine. So Chidori kept speaking. "I remembered our time together, how he made me happy. I guess he made you happy too. And without even realising it, I let myself become attached to him. Everything I feared was becoming real. But...it didn't feel bad. I just tricked myself into thinking it was bad. I think I know why now."

The Shadow sat up and gazed into her other selves eyes. **"Do you?"**

Chidori nodded, confident in her answer. "I was afraid of losing someone if I got close to them, just as you said. And that belief made me selfish, desperate to escape that pain, even if it cost me my life and dyed my soul red with the blood of others. But now that I'm here and I'm separated from him again, I can finally see how foolish that belief was. Because no matter the pain I'm feeling from being torn away from him, none of it compares to the joyful memories I have of when we were together. So I'll endure the pain, the loss, and the knowledge that we're apart. Because I would rather suffer the pain of separation than give up the times we shared. Maybe I can even find other people to share my memories with."

Taking the Shadows hands in her own, she gave her a small smile, not dissimilar to the one the Shadow had shown earlier. "You helped me realise that. Thank you, Medea. Thank you, me."

The Shadow chuckled slightly as it was enveloped in blue light. When the light faded, the visage of Medea was in her place, looking just as Chidori remembered her. But while before Chidori sensed a distressed pain from the Persona, now she felt a tranquillity, as if it was at peace with her other self for the first time since she had awakened. Medea then disappeared, replaced with a floating card with the symbol XII etched on it and the visage of a man suspended by his leg upon it. The card floated into her heart, and she collapsed again, this time falling into Kirijo's arms as he held her in support.

As several of her allies checked on her, with the others tending to their own wounds, Mao scoffed at the emotional moment, but made note of the appearing Persona as he walked off. His allies followed after him as he left, with Almaz stumbling a little on the way. Watching them leave, and knowing that he didn't have much time to stop Mao, and possibly even less time to save Almaz, Shinjiro began running his hands through his hair in frustration, trying to think of what to do, and honestly starting to wish that all of his problems could be solved by fighting giant Shadows. It was honestly the least stressful thing he'd done today.

He was so busy thinking that he didn't notice Chidori appear next to him, supported by a now healed Samantha. "He feels alone."

Turning to look at her, he thought about the simple sentence she had uttered. "Mao?"

She nodded. "He feels like there's no-one he can trust, so he pushes them away rather than risk being betrayed. If he is to change, he must be shown what people truly think of him. Or at least, that's what I think."

With her comments made, she gave her leader a thankful smile, then pushed off Samantha's grip and began walking by herself. Shinjiro thought about what she'd just said. He supposed it made sense, considering what Mao had told them about his prior meeting with the Super Hero, and how betrayed he must have felt at that moment. Maybe Chidori's suggestion had merit.

Looking at Mao, he swore he saw something, for just a fraction of a second, but that brief moment still worried him, if his eyes were showing him the truth.

Because for that split second, there was another Mao.

A Mao dressed in purple, and engulfed in darkness.

Shinjiro glanced into the void, and saw what looked like a large beam of light in the distance. He could only guess that it was their destination, and it was far too close for comfort.

In the next few minutes, the decision that could end billions of lives would have to be made. He could only hope and pray that the one making that choice could be convinced to do the right thing.


	49. Chapter 46 – Moment of Judgement

**Chapter 46 – Moment of Judgement**

* * *

"..."

He wanted to speak, but he could not find the words. He wanted to yell, but his voice escaped him. He wanted to charge forward and stop the man before him, but all he could bring himself to do was keep walking.

Why now, of all times, was he being so indecisive? He knew what was at stake and what the biggest threat to what mattered to him was. He also knew that, with how many allies he had, his skills, his sword and his Persona, he had a very strong chance of being able to stop said threat before it had a chance to be a problem. So why wasn't he even trying? Was it because he had agreed to give someone a chance to stop him peacefully? Was it because the very threat he was so tempted to stop had also given him a right arm to fight with? Was it because he was beginning to see him as an ally?

...No, it couldn't be that last one. Or at least, he hoped he wasn't beginning to ally with a deranged, vengeance fuelled Demonic mad scientist who'd rather cut him open than have a conversation with him. Then again, he'd welcomed another dissection obsessed Demon into his group, and she'd made her desire to see inside him clear from the first moment they'd met, so it almost seemed pointless to judge the man in front of him for it.

_"How the hell did my life become filled with freaks like this?"_

But now wasn't the time to question how strange his life had become, as a far more important thought drowned out all others; Would Mao truly destroy Earth?

It wasn't hard to see that most of the others there were thinking the same thing, or at least something very similar. Even the most fun loving and care free shared a look of sorrow and fear as the entrance to the Human World got closer and closer. His two human teammates looked especially worried, their anxiety over the potential destruction of all they hold dear overriding any animosity they may have held for each other.

Those with weapons kept their hands near the handles, ready to draw them at a moments notice. Those who fought with magic muttered to themselves, as if silently preparing spells just in case. And those who used neither just rubbed their hands instinctively, perhaps as a way of getting ready or just to calm their own nerves. He himself had kept his sword out after the last battle and could feel Castor waiting for an opportunity to appear.

And yet he stayed his hand, as did all others that were there. He didn't claim to understand their reasons for not acting, but he knew his clearly. If Almaz could do as he promised and stop Mao from going through with his plans, then there would be no need to attack the white haired Demon. Perhaps that's why the others didn't act either, but now was not the time to assume.

He could feel Kirijo and Chidori approach him from behind, stopping just behind him, with the older man standing near his left shoulder, and the younger girl by his right. In a harsh whisper, Kirijo spoke. "Aragaki. We have to act soon. If not, all we have fought for will have been for naught."

"Indeed. I didn't come this far just to stand idle while a psychopath destroys all that matters to me out of spite." Shinjiro turned to look at them after both of them voiced their concerns, but he did not stop walking.

"Since when do you two agree?" Really, he already knew why they agreed. He just wanted to sound more confident than he was, in the hopes that it would calm them down. He knew it had failed when they both spoke at the same time.

"When my daughter's life is on the line!"

"When someone's threatening to kill my love!"

He recoiled a little at their words, not because the temper of both of them was starting to rise, but because he could feel the pain in their voices, drowning out the anger. "Look, I know you're getting worried because we're this close, but if we can find a way to stop this without fighting, then we'd still have these guys on our side for the battles ahead."

"We know that. But he's not showing any signs of stopping yet." Chidori practically hissed into his ear, trying to keep others from hearing her.

"I know, but weren't you the one who said we should show him he's not alone? We can't do that if we're attacking him." Chidori turned away, annoyed that her own words were being turned against her. For now she had gone silent, so he turned his attention to Kirijo. "And you need to understand what pain he's in. It must be the same kind that your daughter is feeling right now."

Kirijo flinched at the mention of Mitsuru, realisation dawning in his mind. He couldn't argue with the statement and his mind flooded with the idea of what Mitsuru must be feeling right now and how similar it must be to the pain inside Mao. Now he wasn't sure if he even could attack the Demon. Who was he to attack a mourning child, when he himself had left his own flesh and blood without a father?

Returning back to uncomfortable silence, Shinjiro turned his attention back to the path in front of him and to his thoughts. The path was almost at its end, and with it his time to act. But as he thought about what he should do, he noticed something, something he wouldn't have noticed had he still been talking to the others. There was a strange noise coming from somewhere, though where exactly he couldn't tell. He wasn't sure why, but something about this noise bothered him and he slowed down to try and figure out where it was coming from, allowing the others to walk past him, before he slowed to a halt.

Noticing that he had ceased walking, the others gradually stopped as well, curious about why he had stopped. All except one, who was more annoyed at how everyone was stopping again.

"Come on! What's the hold up, you idiots!?" Trying to ignore Mao's outburst, Shinji gestured for the Demon to be quiet so he could keep listening. Mao did not take kindly to being silenced and stomped towards the Persona user. "I give you an arm, I let you stick around and now you're constantly stopping me from doing what I want! Who are you to try and make me be quiet!?"

Turning his attention away from the sounds to glare at the mad scientist, Shinjiro tried to remain calm as he answered. "Maybe if you were paying attention to what's happening around you and not just throwing the biggest tantrum in history, you'd understand why I'm telling you to shut the hell up."

Mao's eyes flared as he looked the other man in the eyes, pure anger flowing out of them. "Tantrum...? You think this is a tantrum!? This is vengeance! I will hurt the Super Hero and make him regret ever crossing me!"

"By killing who knows how many innocent people!?" Shinjiro yelled back, his own anger starting to rise. "This isn't you getting payback. This is you taking your anger out on others 'cause you don't have the balls to face that asshole yourself!"

Angered to the point where he couldn't even answer, Mao swung his fist at Shinji, but the man caught it with ease and continued. "People like that, people like him, they don't give a shit when strangers die. So you have 2 choices. Either you kill me and see how pointless killing random people is or man up and fight the guy you're actually pissed off at!"

Again, his vision began to change before him, once again seeing the purple adorned version of Mao, before it switched back to his usual visage. He still wasn't sure what exactly it meant, but he knew that if it was anything like a Shadow, he couldn't afford to back down now. Releasing Mao's hand and taking a step back, he raised his sword.

"What's it gonna be?"

The Demon simply stared at first, not sure what to make of what the Human was saying, before he too grabbed his sword. "So you want to fight. Need I remind you that you were the one that ran away last time we fought?"

Both could vaguely hear their allies trying to convince them not to fight, but now both were tuning it out. Shinjiro had made his decision, and that was that he would beat some sense into Mao and, if necessary, drag him to the true enemy.

But in the heat of the argument, Shinji had forgotten all about the strange noise he'd been hearing, leaving all completely unprepared for what happened next. Before either men could attack the other, several small explosions were heard, as asteroids floating around their path all detonated. Catching the attention of all, everyone began looking in every direction, trying to work out what was going on.

As they were distracted, something very fast rushed past them and struck the young Persona user in the face with enough force to knock him back and onto a separate platform before anyone could even notice it, and whatever it was then dashed after him too quickly for anyone to get a good look at it. Even though he had only just recovered from the initial attack, Shinjiro saw whatever it was rush towards him and just barely dodged it as it flew past him. Whatever it was, it was fast and was targeting him, as he saw it change direction and begin circling him.

"What the hell are you!?" He yelled, frustrated that this thing was interrupting his confrontation with Mao. As if responding to his comment, it slowed down, finally sliding to a stop just a few feet away from him, it's back turned to him. But as it - no, HE - rose to his feet, he knew what he was dealing with. That shoulder length brown hair, that beige suit, that posture, there was no mistaking him.

"You...! I thought I dropped you off a cliff." He spat at the familiar man, and even though he couldn't see his face, he knew that the man was adjusting his glasses before turning around and answering.

"Come now, Aragaki-kun. You and I have a habit of escaping death. Did you really think I was dead or did you just hope I was?" Even when this man had pretended to be an ally, Shinjiro had never liked that grin of his, and he hated it even more now. Paying attention to his opponent, he noticed two distinct things about him. First, he was wearing a glove on his right hand with sharp claws sticking out from each finger, almost like the claws built into his arm, only longer. Second, is legs seemed...different, as if they weren't truly his. They seemed longer and his knees were more noticeable. But what really gave away the change was his bare feet, and how each toe now ended in a grey talon, with a larger one emerging from his heel.

"Looks like it did something at least. Those legs are new."

"You're not the only one who can augment themselves. I've found that Demon bodies have much greater physical capabilities than that of us Humans." Ikutsuki smirked, flexing his clawed feet as he did. The sound of them scraping along the ground was familiar, and the youth realised that it was the same sound he heard just a minute ago. "And with so many benefits!"

Suddenly, he began to run again, quickly reaching almost impossible speeds. Shinjiro only just raised his metal arm in time to block the cuts that would have slit his neck otherwise, but the force of the attack forced his arm aside as his opponent rushed past him. Turning around, expecting to see the face of his foe, he saw something worse. Mao was continuing on his way, having used this opportunity to get to the Human World while Shinji was distracted. Noticing his allies seemed more focussed on getting to him to help him, he yelled over to them. "Stop Mao! I can take this guy!"

Some rushed to answer his orders. Others seemed more reluctant, but ultimately obliged. Honestly, with the speed of his target, he didn't know how well he'd fare in this battle, but saving Earth was more important. Turning again, he saw that his enemy had ultimately stopped in his tracks and was mockingly waving at him. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me, Aragaki-kun."

"I don't have time for you. I've got more important things to deal with!" He rushed Ikutsuki, but his blade met thin air, as the target of his aggression leapt over him.

"You need to learn to focus. I'm the only problem you have right now." He said as he landed, quickly jumping back to stay out of the younger man's attack range. "And besides, no matter how hard you fight, the world will end. Be it at the hands of this Demon, or when the Fall descends. Why fight the inevitable?"

Lashing out at the man again, Shinji once again felt his blade connect with nothing, followed by a knee being driven into his face. Staggering back a bit, he grit his teeth and glared ahead. "Screw the inevitable! I can stop this, and I swear I will, whether you get out of my way or not!"

"Shame. I was almost tempted to give you a quick death. Then again, with how fast I am, I guess any death for you will be quick, won't it?" He chuckled at his bad joke, just causing Shinji to roll his eyes.

"Alive or dead, your jokes are still shit." To his amazement, the twisted man seemed to actually get a little annoyed at that comment and rushed him again. This time though, he wasn't careful enough, and Shinji reacted in time to slam his fist into his face as he went past, causing him to spin and land on the ground behind his target. He attempted to take advantage of this opportunity and hit him when he was down, but to his amazement, Ikutsuki pushed against the ground, balancing his entire body on his hand, his feet colliding with Shinjiro's chin as he rose, knocking him onto his back.

"The only terrible joke around here is you. I mean, a man who had practically given up on life suddenly fighting for the right to live. It sounds like a punch line!" He punctuated this statement by punching the downed man in the stomach. This quickly backfired when he felt two hands wrap around his wrist and hold it in place. Before he could make any other moves, his legs were kicked out from underneath him, bringing him to the ground again. As soon as he landed, one foot was placed on his chest and another on his face as Shinjiro pulled on the arm, using his legs to hold the rest of the crazed man in place.

"I told you, I don't have time for this! I wonder how well you can fight with a dislocated arm!" Shinji yelled at the man, now trapped and at his mercy. He grunted in pain as he tried to break free from the powerful grip, but he could only ineffectively scratch at his attackers legs, and even then he only grazed them, causing only mild pain. It would only take a little longer to pull the arm out of its socket.

The last thing he needed was to be distracted. But a voice rang out that he couldn't ignore. "Almaaaaaaaaazzzz!"

Losing focus on the man at his mercy, Shinjiro turned his attention to where the sound had come from. Glancing at the scene before him, he saw Almaz collapsed on the ground in front of him, Sapphire leaning over him, trying to get him to move, but he remained still. The others gathered around all had looks of shock on their face, even Mao. Dread filled him, as he knew what must have happened, and yet still didn't want to accept it. As he watched everyone react to the scene before them, he couldn't help many thoughts entering his mind, one in particular.

_"Is this what they went through for me?"_

As these thoughts overwhelmed him, his grip loosened and the pressure he was applying began to fade, giving Ikutsuki enough chance to slip free. As soon as he was free, he darted back, catching Shinji's attention again. As the Persona user tried to get up, a foot slammed into his face, knocking him back down. Once he was down, the older man grabbed him by head and pulled him upright, pointing his claws straight at Shinjiro's throat, ready to end this. But before he struck, he glanced over his preys shoulder and saw something that caught his attention. This prompted him to instead grab Shinji by the shoulders and quickly spin him around and quickly kick him in the back of the knee, forcing him to kneel. With him on his knees, Ikutsuki grabbed his chin while placing his claws near his throat, forcing him to look ahead. "Do you see what I see?"

Having no choice but to look ahead, he could feel his eyes widen at the sight before him. Standing on opposite sides of a chasm were two identical individuals, one dressed in red, the other in purple. The former looked confused and shocked, while the latter had a look of pure malevolence etched onto his face. It was the same image he'd seen not so long ago. Why was it here?

"Looks like your problems just multiplied. Even if you stop one, how will you stop the other?" Ikutsuki whispered to him, moving back and forth between which side of Shinji's head he was on as he did. This was a mistake on his part, as Shinji leaned back just as he was behind him, slamming the back of his head into Ikutsuki, before grabbing both the mans hands and pulling, dragging his attacker over his back and onto the ground in front of him. Wasting no time, he began to strike the man in the chest as rapidly as he could. The suited man only escaped by quickly clawing at Shinji's face, catching his cheek and only narrowly missing his eye. Still, the pain made Shinji stop for just long enough for Ikutsuki to get to his feet and put some distance between both of them. "Do you see how powerless you are? I won't let you leave, and even if you do, which of the two Demons do you strike down? Why even bother fighting such a pointless battle?"

He chose not to respond to these comments, instead summoning the familiar card to his hand, ready to unleash the power lurking inside his soul. Before he could though, Ikutsuki rushed him again striking him before he could summon Castor, and continuing his attacks instantly, alternating between rapid kicks and wide swings with his claw. With his new found speed, it was difficult for Shinji to block all these attacks. Even with his best efforts, cuts were starting to appear across his body and bruises were forming on his arms and torso. Every so often he'd try to quickly summon Castor, but he was always interrupted. He considered fusing with the Persona, but last time he did he was too exhausted to continue fighting, and he wasn't willing to take that risk yet.

Just across from him, another battle was raging. A red portal had opened in the ground and a swarm of Deaths poured out from it, with most of the others struggling to deal with them before more appeared. Across from the portal, Mao was locking blades with his doppelganger, the two seeming to be evenly matched. With the Deaths keeping the others occupied, the two had no chance of being interrupted. It was the battle that all wanted to interfere in, but none could afford to. This was the battle that would determine the fate of the Human World.

Oblivious to that battle, Shinji was only focussed on the battle in front of him. Ikutsuki had doubled his efforts, making it nigh impossible for him to counter without leaving himself open to potentially lethal retaliation. Then he saw something, just over the other man's shoulder, and he knew that if he made one specific move at this exact moment, he'd gain the upper hand. And so he did the one thing he could do. He fell backwards.

This sudden action caught Ikutsuki off guard, making his next kick go wide and almost send him off balance before he recovered. Thinking that Shinjiro had fallen before the force of his strikes, he got ready for what he believed to be the final blow, raising his arm above his head, ready to slash down. That thought was interrupted when something collided with his back. While he was stunned from that, Shinji rolled out of the way, knowing what was about to happen and wanting to get out of the way before it happened. As the struck man tried to spin around, he was hit again and again, each time making him pause for a brief moment. As he turned, he saw that he was being hit by some sort of strange white orbs, all of which seemed to cling to him like glue. "What are these?"

He barely heard the sound of someone snapping their fingers before the orbs turned black and exploded in a column of dark fire, one which Shinji barely got out of the way of. Once he had, he got to his feet, grabbed his sword from where he had dropped it and ran over to the one responsible for the attack, just as the black flames on her hands subsided. "Good timing. Now get back to the others. They still need you."

Mei frowned at his orders. "But you need help too."

"Not as much as them. Besides..." Before he finished that sentence, he chose to finally finish summoning Castor, feeling the power of the Persona materialise above him. "Now I've got the big guns out."

Before Mei could choose whether or not to obey his commands or not, a thoroughly singed Ikutsuki stumbled out of the smoke, coughing the whole time. His suit was damaged from the fire, but was still mostly in tact, as was he unfortunately. As he staggered towards them, he rubbed his eyes to try and get the soot out of them, before glancing up at them.

For a moment, everything stopped as he just stared ahead. He was silent, unblinking and the only sign of movement was a twitching in his eye. Then his whole body began to shake, but anyone could tell that it was not from fear or cold, but from rage, anger and pure hate. Without warning, he lunged forwards, dashing straight towards them. Shinji ordered Castor to attack, but the Persona just missed the superhumanly fast target. Shinji entered a defensive stance, ready to take whatever attack Ikutsuki was making.

But it never hit him, as it was never meant to. Instead, he weaved past Mei's defence and struck her in the stomach, knocking her into a nearby piece of debris and causing her to drop her spear. He didn't even seem to notice Shinji anymore, instead just blindly charging after Mei again, planting one of his feet into her midsection as he caught up with her, knocking the wind out of her and leaving her open to more attacks. Through gritted teeth, he spoke to her, never relenting in his attacks. "It's so nice to see you again, Arisato-chan! Now I get to personally thank you for all that you did! If you hadn't ruined Aigis, I would have taken my place as the Prince of the new world! It's your fault! YOUR FAULT!"

From her position and the constant kicking, there was no chance for Mei to defend herself or fight back. She only received respite when Shinji took advantage of Ikutsuki's blind focus on Mei in order to have Castor ram into him and knock him into the air. While Castor punched Ikutsuki in every direction to keep him in the air, Shinjiro rushed over to Mei and got her into a sitting position. "Rest for now. I'll deal with the rest."

He ran off before she could answer, willing Castor to knock Ikutsuki towards him. The Persona obliged, striking the man towards the ground directly in front of Shinji. Before his foe could land, the Persona user puller his metal fist back and then, at just right the moment, punched forwards, finding the perfect time to hit he falling man. He narrowly missed hitting him in the face, instead connecting with his ribs and likely breaking a few, which pleased him. Hitting him there was less likely to be fatal, but still likely to put the enemy in a lot of pain. Whatever the result, the attack knocked Ikutsuki a few feet away, landing against the edge of the platform.

Thinking quickly, Shinjiro grabbed Mei's spear and threw it at Ikutsuki, hoping it would hit what he meant it to hit. Luck was, for once, on his side, as it flew through the air and straight into Ikutsuki's thigh, causing him to howl in pain. With how deep the wound was, he hoped that would keep him from running around for now. His guess seemed to be right, as even after Ikutsuki pulled the spear from his leg, he struggle to get to his feet. Now that he'd lost the speed advantage, it was just a matter of finishing this fight and re-joining the others.

As he considered those objectives, an idea entered his mind, an idea that was reckless, but had the potential to be very efficient and even a little cathartic for him. Issuing a silent command to Castor, Shinjiro ran towards the rest of the battle, seemingly ignoring Ikutsuki. He ran past his allies as they continued to push the Deaths back, and ran straight towards Mao and his dark other self. Getting his sword ready, he lashed out at the purple Mao, gashing him along the arm, catching the attention of both.

"He's mine!" Mao yelled at him, momentarily dropping his guard.

"If anyone's gonna beat the shit out of you, it's gonna be me!" Shinji yelled back, catching the blade of the other Mao with his own. The two stood at a stalemate for a few second, before Shinji smirked and side stepped, moving completely out of range to attack or be attacked. And that's when his plan became apparent, as Castor rushed towards them, dragging Ikutsuki by his leg, before slamming the injured man into his target and releasing him. The impact of having someone else slammed into him knocked the evil Mao to the ground, with the augmented Human collapsing onto him, struggling to get up.

Before they could, an angered Mao lashed out, his fist charging with green energy. His fist collided with his evil self and exploded, catching both men in the blast. In truth, he couldn't care less if he hit both, as his only focus was on the other Mao. Still, it engulfed both and sent them flying into the air, right into the fists of a waiting Castor. Slamming them both back towards the ground, the Persona made sure to send one towards Shinjiro and the other towards Mao. However, it was Ikutsuki that went towards the Demon and evil Mao that went towards the Human.

Shinji couldn't help but grin slightly as he began striking the doppelganger, hitting him with enough force to temporarily keep him in the air before allowing him to painfully fall to the ground. "I didn't get the chance to fight Mao earlier. But you'll do!"

Mao meanwhile chose to catch Ikutsuki as he fell, gripping him by the front of his jacket and holding him in mid-air. charging his fist with a bright white light, he glared at the Human before punching him in the midsection, releasing beams of light to blast through him, piercing him in the stomach and knees. Once they dissipated, he threw his prey back in the direction he'd come from and turned his attention back to his true opponent. "This is my fight! You've got your own guy to deal with!"

For once conceding to Mao, Shinjiro let Castor carry back to where Ikutsuki had landed to resume their battle. Castor made sure to drop Shinji directly on top of their enemy, ensuring that, even if he hadn't broken the monsters ribs before, he had now. Leaning down, he grabbed the sides of Ikutsuki's head and pulled him closer.

"You can say all you want about inevitability. But it means jack shit when you can't back it up." He punctuated this point by punching the man in the stomach. "And you don't have the strength to prove that I can't win. You want to know what's really inevitable? My fist in your gut!"

And he made certain that wasn't an idle threat, as he rammed his fist into the man's already weakened midsection, robbing him of all breath, before casually dropping him back to the ground. With his opponent in no position to fight back, he glanced back to the other battle. It looked like the others had the situation under control, with the red portal beginning to close, and Mao now having a clear advantage over his other self. That only left the person who came to his aid, and she was still resting from the beating she'd suffered for her troubles.

Going over to her, he got her sitting upright, supporting her back against the debris she'd collided with, dismissing Castor as he did this. She was in pain, but only seemed to suffer minor injuries, thankfully. Now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, he was starting to feel the pain himself, reminding him that he'd been hit just about everywhere, and that he'd probably be covered in bruises. "You ok?"

She coughed when she tried to answer, still trying to recover from the pain around her lungs. Trying to comfort her, he rested his hand on her shoulder, hoping it would give her some reassurance that she had support.

This attempt was cut short with a loud bang and a sharp pain in his own shoulder. Breaking his focus on her, he spun around, only for a second bang and another pain in his leg. Clutching it to stop from the bleeding, his eyes became full of anger once more as he saw Ikutsuki, having regained enough strength to hold a weapon, pointing a gun at them. Panting, he spoke, just loud enough for both of them to hear him. "Shinjiro... Hamuko... You and...all of the others... I'll kill you all!"

A third shot was fired, this time just grazing Shinjiro's cheek, a thin trail of blood not trailing down it. Glaring ahead, he limped towards Ikutsuki, the pain in his leg preventing him from going faster. In a mix of anger and panic, the downed man fired the rest of the bullets in his gun, but with his shaking hands and the knowledge that the man responsible for his current pain was approaching him, he couldn't fire straight, none of his shots coming even close to either of his targets. Desperately pulling the trigger long after he had run out of ammo, Ikutsuki could do nothing as the angered man stood over him.

A kick to each knee was the first thing to happen to him, followed by multiple strikes to the wounds on his abdomen. Letting his rage take over for a moment, Shinjiro no longer seemed to care if Ikustuki survived the attacks, instead giving the impression that he only wanted to hurt the man before him as much as possible. Then, when he seemed to no longer be satisfied merely striking his enemies lower body, he turned his attention to punching him in the face repeatedly. And so he hit him again and again and again...

_"One more punch and he won't survive."_ The voice of his Persona snapped him out of his rage induced attack. He stared down at the now bloody and bruised face of the one he hated so much, and then at his fist in surprise. It's metal knuckles, once silver, were starting to turn red from his efforts. _"I can feel that you want to kill him just as much you want to spare him. What will you do?"_

Pausing for a moment to compose himself, Shinjiro got up, leaving the long unconscious man alone. "I'm not... I refuse...to kill again..."

_"Suit yourself."_

Trying to compose himself again, he looked back at the site of the battle. He wondered how long he had just been beating Ikustuki, as it looked like everything else had been resolved. The others were now gathered around the fallen Almaz, and it seemed that Mao was finally mourning him (in his own way). Since it looked like Mao wasn't in any state to destroy the world, Shinji turned his focus to Mei, who was finally getting to her feet. Limping towards her, she looked at him in concern. "You're hurt."

"I'll live. Are you ok?" Her worried expression didn't comfort him. Looking him in the eye, she asked a question he really didn't want to hear right now.

"Who is Hamuko?"

"..." He stayed silent, partly out of surprise that she asked it, and partly because he didn't know how to respond.

"First you mistake me for her twice, now this guy does too... Who is she?"

"...That's not important." It was a weak excuse, but the only one he could think of.

"Then why won't you tell me. If it's not important, then it shouldn't matter whether I know or not." It was clear from her tone that his answer annoyed her, and that she expected a proper response.

"..." He felt trapped. He couldn't argue with her accusation, and it only seemed fair to tell her. But how would she react? "...She was a friend."

"The others are your friends, but I've never seen you almost beat someone to death when they're in danger. Whenever he said her name, you looked like you wanted nothing more than to kill him. Who. Is. She?" She made it clear that she was having an answer from him, right now. There was no other way.

Taking a deep breath, he finally told her. "When I was back home, Hamuko was this person that just about everyone seemed to know... She went out of her way to try and make friends with everyone... She even tried to get close to me...too close. Before I knew it, she mattered more to me than anything else. And somewhere along the way, she...she...came to see me as more than a friend... Just a few days later, I got sent here."

"...So, when you say that you want to go home, what you mean is that you want to go back to her." She said, hesitating as she did. He averted his gaze, not knowing how to answer. She took his silence as a yes and kept going. "And how do I fit into this?"

"You and her...your practically identical. Your hairs different and she didn't have wings, but you have the same face, your eyes are so similar and you even style your hair the same way. I don't know how that's possible, but..." He couldn't finish, no matter how hard he tried. After all, he couldn't claim to understand the situation himself, so trying to explain it to another person was exceedingly difficult. She looked very confused at this statement, not by his words, but by what they implied.

"Then what does that make me? Her replacement?" Something about those words pierced straight through him, robbing him of any ability to respond. Perhaps it was because it made so much sense to him, to the point that a part of him started to wonder if that was the real reason he travelled with her.

Did he fight Ciel because she hurt Mei or because she hurt someone who looked like Hamuko?

Had he stayed by Mei's side in the hospital because he was worried about her or because he was picturing Hamuko in her place?

Was that why he let her stay?

"...It doesn't matter." She said suddenly, pulling one of his arms over her shoulders, supporting his weight. "We need to get you healed."

Even if she was trying to brush off these questions, she was failing. She couldn't hide the pain and confusion in her words, with even her statements sounding almost like questions. She wouldn't even look at him, trying to hide her emotions. He could see the others heading back down the path, and he was a little relieved to see Mao walking away from the portal to Earth. He was also a little confused that Almaz was apparently not dead, but chose not to think about it too much. Two people however were still just standing there, gazing at the portal.

"Wait. You go on ahead." He told Mei. She hesitated, but let go of his arm before slowly walking off, not saying a word or glancing back. Still hurt, he slowly approached Kirijo and Chidori, still glued to their spots.

"This will take us home, won't it?" Chidori asked, not looking away or a moment.

"They said it leads to our world, didn't they?" Kirijo continued, barely looking at Shinjiro as he did.

"I guess."

"Then we can go home. We can say goodbye to these battles and go back to where we belong." The red-haired girl said. It was a tempting offer. All that they aspired for was right in front of them and all they had to do was walk through it. Kirijo could see his daughter again. Chidori would have a chance to live a normal life with her boyfriend. And Shinjiro would finally be reunited with Hamuko.

But...

"I can't. Not yet." It was almost painful to say that, for him to turn down this chance. The others clearly didn't expect the answer and turned to him, awaiting elaboration. "These people are counting on us. What will they think if we just vanish? We at least owe them a proper goodbye."

"But what about The Fall? Others are depending on us too!" The one-eyed man yelled, not appreciating being separated from his daughter any longer.

"I want to help them as much as you, but I can't abandon these people either. I've run from too many battles in the past." Chidori chuckled at Shinji's answer.

"Throwing your lot in with Demons? How peculiar. Still, what if our world does end while we're away? Could you live with yourself, knowing that you had a chance to fight alongside them and turned it down? Tell me if that is truly worth it." Her questions were clearly meant to force him to change his mind, but he knew he couldn't back down.

"I have faith in SEES. They've got the strength, the determination, and leaders to see them through to victory. Not to mention the smartest person I ever met and one of the strongest guys I know." He made sure they knew who he was talking about. "They can win, with or without us."

His words silenced them. To argue further would imply they didn't have faith in the ones they cared for. He knew that they did have faith, but that they'd struggle to prove it while continuing to argue with him. Sighing deeply, Kirijo stepped back from the portal and towards his young leader. "You and these Demons helped me overcome my Shadow, make me a stronger person. I suppose it would be unfair of me to not return the favour."

Having confirmed his agreement, the older man walked off, leaving only Chidori to make her decision. She was clearly in deep thought about the subject, struggling to find a suitable answer. Finally she sighed and walked past Shinjiro. "Don't make me regret this decision."

Feeling relieved that he'd resolved one problem, he followed them, eager to resolve the current issue as quickly as possible. Victory was finally in his grasp, and he wouldn't let it slip away.


	50. Side Chapter A3 - Guiding Force

**Side Chapter A3 - Guiding Force**

* * *

When Evil Academy was renovated, it apparently extended to this wing of the school as well. Lava, which once flowed freely, was now trapped in very precise and narrow streams, allowing the damaged floor panels and pillars to be replaced with pristine, white, new ones. It was almost sad to see the burning force known for moving so freely and destroying all that tried to stop it trapped moving where it is instructed, unable to do anything to free itself. Ordinarily, not having such a dangerous substance everywhere would be considered much safer, but as the young man walking through this area knew that his enemies were lurking there, he was certain that this area was more dangerous than ever.

Regardless of danger, he kept walking forward, unable to even consider turning back. He knew what was being kept here, kept from him. He'd searched for so long, and perhaps later he would laugh at the irony that it was the enemies he hated so much that gave him the first lead on what he sought, the thing he had desired to find the moment he'd discovered its existence.

He was so focused that he'd completely blocked out the questions of the angel following him, and had almost forgotten he was even there. The angel, for the most part, was just trying to find out why they were coming to this part of Evil Academy, and was getting worried for his travelling companion, due to his complete silence. By now, most of his questions were just a means to avoid the almost painful quiet that encased the air around him.

"So, why are we here?"

"..."

"Do we have a plan?"

"..."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"..."

"Is it true that all Demons can breath fire?"

"..."

"*Sigh* This is going nowhere..." Gabe muttered to himself, saddened that his ally seemed to have started ignoring him. That or he had gone deaf, which was very troubling to the young Angel, but he couldn't imagine what might have caused sudden hearing loss in the Demon. Deciding that talking to himself just seemed awkward, he settled into an uncomfortable silence, nervously fiddling with the string of his bow. He hated the weapon, but it was giving him more of a response than Agnus, so he decided not to complain. Abruptly, Agnus stopped in his tracks, almost causing Gabe to walk into him. "Why are we-"

The Demon raised a hand to signal him to be quiet, cutting off the Angel's questions. Without explaining, Agnus began creeping towards a nearby pillar, hiding behind it when he got close enough. Gabe followed his example, still not really understanding why he needed to, and was soon crouched next to Agnus, who slowly leaned outwards to look further into the area they were entering.

They were just exiting a long corridor into a larger room. If he had to guess, he'd say that this was the centre of this wing of the school, and it had the most lava to prove it, with several organised streams all connecting to a sphere of pure magma floating in mid-air. Even with the bright white lights floating all around, the orange glow of the substance still gave its surroundings a faint orange glow. He would have wondered how the Academy got such a destructive phenomenon, but his mind was too focussed on the task at hand, and returned to observing the room, not caring that Gabe was entranced by the floating orb.

"I don't understand, sir. Why isn't it working?" The two were alerted to a voice from somewhere in the room, and the quickly found the source of it; a samurai speaking to a knight in heavy armour. Gabe stared in confusion at the two, and almost entered their field of vision before Agnus stopped him. He scowled at the sight in front of him, already being familiar with one of the two men.

"Gold Knuckle. He's one of our enemies, and a tough one too. Don't let him see you if you don't have to." He whispered to the other man, who nodded nervously. The two observed as the golden armoured Demon paced around the room, with the samurai standing off to one side, watching him while questioning their current work, whatever that may be.

"Have I not been clear enough? Clean out your ears and hear what the Knuck is saying." The Senior said, now approaching his classmate. "Some people can't become perfect Delinquents. We don't know why, but something in them just can't be buried like it can in everyone else. So it doesn't matter what Gold Knuckle says, cause she won't listen."

"Hard to believe that someone wouldn't be affected by your words, sir." The samurai said, folding his arms as he thought about what his superior had told him.

"Really? Cause the Knuck already explained this to you, and you're still forgetting!" The larger man flicked the samurai in the forehead to prove his point, causing the Samurai to recoil in surprise and embarrassment. "But since you can't remember what happened 5 minutes ago, I guess the masterful one will have to give you a demonstration."

The observers saw him signal to someone they couldn't see, and just a moment later a ninja pushed a wheelchair into the room, with a girl strapped into it. They were too far away to see the girls face, but they could see that she was wearing a black hat, red sweater and white jeans. Gabe wanted to go out and help her, but again Agnus stopped him, worrying that jumping out early might put them at a disadvantage in a fight he knew was coming. The ninja stopped in front of the other two men, while the girl made no attempt to escape, most likely aware that her restraints were too tight for her to simply break.

When she was in front of him, Gold Knuckle started reciting the same story that he told to the Freshman last time Agnus saw him, putting as much enthusiasm and charisma into it as he could. Though he hated to admit it, Gold Knuckle did have an impressive charisma to him, so it wasn't hard to believe that he could influence people just through his voice. The fact that Gabe seemed to be crying about the "beautiful story", seemed to confirm that belief, but Agnus still smacked Gabe in the head to get him to focus.

"So, do you see things our way?" The Senior asked the girl when he concluded.

"I keep telling you, people would be really disappointed with me if I became a Delinquent. I'm not going to let them down." The girl replied in a voice that was both nervous and yet strangely strong, as if she was scared but wouldn't let that stop her from following her beliefs. Agnus could respect that, and smiled to himself, drawing the spear he'd stolen from their last battle and signalling for Gabe to get an arrow ready.

"When I jump down, fire one of those exploding shots you used last time. Aim for the ninja first, but the gold one is mine." Gabe nervously nodded and moved to a position where he had a clear shot without revealing himself to the people in the room. Cautiously, they waited a little longer, as Gold Knuckle let out a joyless laugh.

"See? Completely immune. So either you get a hint and stop wasting my talents on something this insignificant, or the Knuck is going to have to smack you down." The samurai stepped aside in response to his bosses threat, drawing his sword once he had.

"Well, if we can't convert this girl, there's no reason to let her live." He raised his sword above his head, a hint of sadism sneaking into his voice. Knowing that they had seconds at best, Agnus yelled to Gabe the order to fire.

"NOW!" In the perfect amount of time, two objects flew through the air towards the Seniors, who turned in surprise at the sudden voice. Before he could react, a glowing arrow landed at the feet of the ninja, exploding as soon as it did, knocking him through the air and colliding into a pillar, the axe strapped to his back falling away from him as he lost consciousness. A few feet away, a spear collided with the wrists of the samurai, forcing him to drop his sword, which only barely missed his intended target, as he cursed at the pain and blood loss.

While all that was happening, Agnus pulled out his own spear and jumped down, rushing toward the girl, hoping to capitalise on the surprising nature of their attack to slip past the enemies defences. That belief was shattered when an intense force collided with his face, feeling like a cannonball fired at point blank range. Before he could even process what happened, he was on the ground and being looked down upon by Gold Knuckle. "I gotta admit, that was pretty gutsy. And you even survived one of my acclaimed Beheading Kenpo techniques. But you don't stand a chance against the Master."

Trying to ignore the pain he felt, Agnus mockingly chuckled. "Master? Funny. I remember my old team kicking the crap out of you."

His enemy scowled at this, remembering his recent failure. "So, you were one of those Jabronis. Perfect. Now I, the Master of Beheading Kenpo, will prove once and for all that he can beat anyone the world throws at him!"

"Bring it on." Agnus said, pulling himself to his feet and entering a combat stance. "I didn't get a shot at you last time. And once I beat you, I'll take on all of the Seniors and prove that nothing can stop me!"

"Then enough talking. Let's start speaking with out fists!" He didn't even finish speaking before he swung a fist at Agnus' head again, one which the smaller man narrowly sidestepped, before countering with a kick to the armoured mans midsection. The kick barely seemed to affect the muscular man, who just grabbed Agnus' leg with one hand before raising his other hand into the air. Realising that his enemy meant to break his leg, Agnus hastily jumped with his free leg, causing the armoured knight to lose his balance, forced to release his hold on Agnus' ankle just to stop himself from falling over. Agnus landed on his back before hastily rolling away from his foe and onto his feet.

 _"He's faster than he looks."_ He thought to himself, watching the Senior for the slightest hint of movement. It seemed that he had a similar mind-set, as he too was just watching what the other man would do. Both seemed to realise that if they wanted to win this battle, they'd have to outwit their opponents as well as overpower them.

While that was happening, Gabe was trying to get a clear shot at the samurai, but the enemy had seen him and was now trying to make that task as difficult as possible, while still staggering from the pain in his arms. Abruptly, he reached to his belt and pulled out a small knife, one which soared through the air towards Gabe at frightening speed. He didn't have enough time to dodge it, causing it to sink into his shoulder and send him to the ground in pain. The samurai chuckled to himself at having injured the Angel, and then went to retrieve his sword.

He was, needless to say, confused when he saw no sword and an empty wheelchair. Hastily looking around, he barely avoided being impaled by his own sword. "How'd you get free?"

The girl didn't answer, instead nervously holding the blade. Her stance, her attack and the look on her face all proved that she'd probably never held a sword before in her life. Her subsequent attempt to stab him again proved that, before he disarmed her with a kick to the stomach. Hastily crouching, he grabbed the sword from the ground and rose fast enough to point it at her. She nervously started back stepping from the sharp instrument, stumbling to the ground as she did. "Now, be a good little girl and die."

Panicking, the girl reached around for something, anything to defend herself with. Feeling something cylindrical and heavy, she grabbed it and swing it at the sword next to her face. She was vaguely aware of a clanging noise, but since she had closed her eyes as she swung, she wasn't sure why. Since she didn't feel a sword cutting or stabbing into her flesh, she slowly opened her eyes to see what had happened. Directly in front of her was the sword that had been used to threaten her, but it was now split in half and being stared at in shock by the samurai. Turning to her own hand, she saw exactly why the sword had broken, namely that she had hit it with a very large, very heavy axe.

Getting up as fast as she could, she swung the axe again, not caring that she would be hitting her enemy with the flat side of the blade. He noticed the attack too late, and soon found himself being propelled through the air, before painfully colliding with a one of the channels that was currently carrying lava across the room. If he was still conscious after the sudden impact, he at least wasn't moving, much to the relief of the girl.

Not far away, Agnus' luck was not improving. He attempted to impale his foe with the spear, but Gold Knuckle had simply caught it and used it to swing Agnus around, hoping to fling him into the lava. Agnus had managed to hold on long enough to prevent that from happening, but the large amounts of swinging had made him dizzy and open to attack. That attack came in the form of a diving tackle straight to his midsection, one powerful enough to break a weaker mans ribcage, and enough to knock Agnus to the ground in agony.

Once he was down, Gold Knuckle stood over him, before jumping into the air and bringing his elbow down on Agnus' already damaged chest. He could taste blood in his mouth, and swallowed it back down. Even he was amazed when he tried to pull himself upright, a task which shouldn't have been as difficult as it was. Once he was at least on his feet again, Gold Knuckle grabbed him by the head and pulled him towards one of the lava streams, before slamming it against the stone barrier. The impact caused cracks to appear on the surface, and blood to start running down Agnus' face.

"You've got a hard head. Let's see how long it takes to crack it like an egg!" The Senior roared before pushing Agnus back towards the stone. This time though, Agnus released his spear and put his hands down on the barrier, pushing upwards to keep his head from colliding with it again. It took practically all of his strength to keep himself upright, and the heat from the lava was starting to disorient him. He could feel his hands starting to slip, but he refused to just give up. "Maybe cracking you was the wrong term. Maybe I need to boil you first!"

He could feel Gold Knuckle shift his weight with those words, and he began to panic. He could feel that he was no longer being pushed towards the stone, but to the lava it contained. He knew Demons could take a lot of punishment, but he doubted even then he could survive having his head submerged in it for more than a second. With his grip slipping and no other plans coming to mind, he started to wonder if he would die here, having failed at what he sought to do.

"Get off of him!" The words that entered his ears were followed by a large, painful sounding impact of metal, followed soon after by Gold Knuckle releasing him, causing him to stagger back in relief. Turning, he saw that the girl he'd come to save had now apparently saved him by hitting the armoured knight in the chest with an axe, seemingly with enough force to put a large dent in his golden armour. For a moment, all 3 just stood there, the girl showing that same refusal to let her obvious nervousness stop her from fighting, Gold Knuckle staring in surprise at the dent, and Agnus just trying to catch his breath and calm his nerves.

"You...dented my armour...!" With a previously unseen rage, the golden man brought both fists towards the young girl, who only survived the attack by having her weapon take most of the impact, and even then she was still forced onto one knee from the sheer power of the attack. Agnus tried to get up to help her, but he was still so weakened that he could barely stand without the use of his spear to hold himself up with. Still, he couldn't just leave her to fight that brute alone.

Inspiration came to him when he saw the cracks on the stone, the same ones his head had caused. He noted to himself that this was probably his most insanely stupid plan ever, but it was the only plan he could think of, and too tempting to refuse. So, leaning against the barrier to keep himself standing, he brought his spear down onto the cracked part of the barrier, and though he was weakened, he still his it with enough force to break a hole clean through the barricade, with a stream of lava soon following.

Both of the other fighters noticed the stream of lava approaching them and quickly jumped out of the way, the burning substance passing in-between them and spreading along the floor, with the redhead spearman staggering away from it as best he could. The ninja, who had just awoken from his previous injuries, saw the damage currently being wrought, and decided that he was urgently needed elsewhere, grabbing the samurai and running as fast as he could.

Gabe, who was the only one out of reach of the lava, observed the battle with concern for all involved, even his opponent. Noticing the badly injured Agnus, he brought his hands together in prayer, ignoring the pain in his shoulder from doing so. When he finished his prayer, a light bathed Agnus, and he felt the pain leave him, the cut on his forehead closing, and his internal wounds sealing as well. Pausing briefly to give a nod of appreciation at the Angel, Agnus proceeded to run forwards, before jumping over the lava and planting his spear straight into Gold Knuckle's armour, turning the dent the girl left into a small hole. Then, he planted both of his feet onto the Senior's chest and pushed him and his spear free, sliding to a stop just in front of the point where the lava stopped.

"I. Am. Getting tired. Of you!" The Senior yelled, charging at his foe, apparently not caring if he overshoots and goes into the lava. Agnus tried to shove his spear into him to stop him in his tracks, but he just knocked the blade aside with his fists, grabbing Agnus by the throat a moment later. The spearman would have done something about it, had the girl not done something first, hitting Gold Knuckle from behind, causing him to release Agnus, who took the opportunity to grab Gold Knuckle and headbutt him. Part of him regretted that soon after. "Looks like I'm not the only one with a hard head..."

While Gold Knuckle snarled in rage, the girl moved to stand next to him. "What do we do?"

"We put a hole in his armour. If we can hit that, we might be able to stop him." The girl nodded in agreement, but neither seemed clear on exactly how they should do that. He may have been enraged, but Gold Knuckle's bragging about his skills weren't baseless. One wrong move and he might just kill them. Suddenly, yet another reckless idea entered his mind. "Grab my spear."

"What!?"

"Just do it!" With caution the girl did so, one hand clutched just below the blade, while the other kept hold of her axe. "Hold on."

Before she could really process what he said, he swung the spear around, lifting her off the ground and towards their mutual enemy. When close enough, she instinctively swung her axe, hitting him in the torso and expanding the hole noticeably. Once she landed, she tugged on the spear, pulling Agnus towards her, where he proceeded to kick Gold Knuckle in the face hard enough to knock him away from them. Once both his feet were safely on the ground, he planted the tip of his spear into the lava, then using it to fling some of the substance at Gold Knuckle, burning his armour when it collided. While he desperately tried to get the scolding magma off of him, the other warrior planted her axe into a nearby pillar, bringing it down on the Senior, who was clearly injured, but instead of being crushed under the force, he proceeded to lift it over his head.

The girl felt a serious morale drop at the sight of it, but Agnus felt even more determined to win now. He knew what he had to do to win, and he would not fail. "Jump, then hit him with the strongest attack you've got."

It wasn't the best explanation of his plan, but it did seem to get the basics across before Gold Knuckle threw the pillar at the two. From his previous injuries, it didn't go as high as he had hoped, and was instead at just the right height for Agnus' plan to work. Both he and the girl jumped before it could hit them, using it as a springboard to reach further heights. The girl seemed to stop in mid-air, a powerful energy surrounding her, while Agnus summoned an ethereal green energy around his spear and soared straight towards his target. Then, just in front of Gold Knuckle, he swung the weapon down, cutting a burning line through his armour at the same moment that a giant vortex of fire burst through the ceiling and slammed down onto the Senior, engulfing him in pure pain.

Landing in a crouching position, he quickly jumped back, just in time to see the girl push her hands forwards, propelling all of that energy straight towards Gold Knuckle. It collided with the now large hole in his armour, before promptly exploding, shattering his breastplate and sending him to the other side of the room. Knowing that it was no longer needed, Agnus dispersed the column of fire, just as his ally floated back to the ground. They stood motionless for a moment, never taking their eyes off of the juggernaut they'd just been fighting. When they were both convinced that he wasn't getting back up, they breathed a much needed sigh of relief.

"Thank you." The girl said to him. Now that the battle had ended, he could finally take a good look at her. His earlier observations were accurate, but he could now see that her hat (Which was remarkably similar to his own), had a skull shaped like a heart on it, and that had her red sweater was worn over a black buttoned shirt. He could also see that she had green hair and soft looking purple eyes. But what really interested him was the pendant she wore around her neck.

_"When you find her, she should have this necklace on."_

The words he'd heard not long ago echoed through his head, the ones that had started him on his journey. Meanwhile, the girl had a wide smile and was starting to cry tears of relief and joy. Abruptly, she jumped forwards and hugged him. "I knew we'd find each other again, brother."

And in that short sentence, everything he hoped was confirmed, and he couldn't help himself from hugging her back. "I've been searching for you. Ever since I knew we'd been separated."

"So have I. I was afraid I'd missed my chance." She seemed to barely be able to contain herself, and like she wouldn't ever let go of him. Gabe, who had descended to approach the two, was natural confused.

"You two know each other?" Reluctantly pulling away from the one he was clutching so tightly, Agnus turned to the Angel and tried to explain.

"This is my sister. I came to Evil Academy to find her." He could hardly contain his joy as he spoke, and he could see her smiling as well. Gabe's eyes lit up at the statement and he quickly hugged both of them himself. Once he let go, he began barraging them with questions too quickly for either to answer. Raising his hand to signal for Gabe to be quiet, he began speaking.

"How about, instead of going into question overload, you just let her introduce herself?" The Angel scratched the back of his head while chuckling nervously, apologising for his actions soon after. Turning to his sister, he just as eagerly waited to hear about her.

"W-well, my name is Agnes Torii. I was raised in lots of different Netherworlds, but I see Hades as my home." Both men made a mental note of how strange it was for her to have such a high opinion of the Netherworld prison, but chose not to ask. At least, not yet. "And I've been looking for my brother all my life. I... I'm so happy to have finally found you!"

Her tears, which had finally started calming down, began again, as she barely stopped herself from sinking her head into his chest again. Gabe practically squealed at the sight of such strong love between siblings, even ones who had only just met, but he controlled himself.

But the happy atmosphere was interrupted by a groaning noise, and they all turned to see Gold Knuckle now on his hands and knees, breathing heavily. "The Seniors... They've lost... First our base, now I, the Master of Beheading Kenpo, can't even take down two Freshman Jabronis... It's hopeless..."

Putting his reunion aside for a moment, Agnus once again clutched his spear. "So, you're still alive. Well, I know that if you leave a villain alive when he's surrounded by lava, he'll just come back as a cyborg later, so I'd better take care of you now."

"Wait!" Agnes grabbed his arm before he could go over to finished what he started. He was confused, but stopped to stare at her. "We already won. We don't have to do anything else."

"He tried to brainwash you!"

"And he failed. Please, big bro, don't do something you don't have to." Something about the way she looked at him made him hesitate. But he was a Demon! He shouldn't hesitate just because his sister asked him to. Or at least, that's what he kept trying to tell himself, and yet his feet remained firmly on the ground, unmoving.

"Why stop him, girlie? I've already lost, so he may as well finish it." The very enemy she was trying to save said, a despair leaking into his voice at his second failure. But instead of listening to what he said, she got closer herself and kneeled next to him.

"I was taught that everyone can redeem themselves, no matter how many lifetimes it takes. So I won't kill you or let you just die. Find someway to redeem yourself, and I'll forgive you for all of this." Her words were surprising to say the least, particularly to the knight himself, who couldn't even look at her as she walked back to her brother.

"...Our leader has turned the Overlord's Castle into his base. If you intend to keep fighting the Seniors, that's where you can end it..." All three of the victors of the battle stared at him in confusion, not really understanding why he'd tell them that, unless it was a trap. Agnus was suspicious about this information, but when Agnes grabbed his arm, he was suddenly shaken from his thoughts.

"We have to go there! If we can get the Senior leader to stop, then there won't be anymore fighting!" She sounded almost desperate as she spoke, as if the mere though of people fighting terrified her, despite the proficiency for violence that she had just shown. Turning towards Gabe, he could see that he was just as eager to follow this lead, regardless of the dangers. Looking back and forth between the two, he reached two conclusions; that they both wanted his permission to go and that there was basically no way he could deny what they were suggesting.

Sighing, he slung his axe across his back again. "Guess we'll have to finish our introductions on the way. We'll grab some supplies on the way there."

His two companions smiled at him, and he soon found Agnes' hand slip into his own and drag him along. Normally, if someone tried to drag him along like that, he'd pull his hand free and complain, but as he felt her soft, warm hand fit so perfectly into his own, he felt content. And as Gold Knuckle pounded his fist against the ground in despair, and Gabe dispersed healing magic amongst the group, the two twins felt more content than ever before, eager to finally know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Agnes Torii is property of Hades Revolution. Here is her character sheet.
> 
> Agnes
> 
> Title: Praying Sibling
> 
> Weapons: All except fists
> 
> Skills: All magic except support and alignment
> 
> Meet your maker (Agnes launches herself into the air and summons a massive amount of energy and tosses it at her enemy, upon impact, it explodes.) Description: She's more dangerous than her brother. Range: six (three targets, single line.)
> 
> Dance in the Red Moon (Agnes jumps high into the air, right in front of a blood red moon, and summons Lucifer. The demon smiles evily as he casts Megidolaon, and the ground breaks apart with Lucifer laughing.) Description: Guess even the Demon King can't resist her. Range: four (Five targets, x formation)
> 
> Mandala (Agnes becomes a towering demon covered by several black wings, and resembles a succubus, except she has twelve black angel wings and looks like a female version of Lucifer. Agnes proceeds to destroy her enemy, and the ground breaks apart like nothing.) Description: Lo and behold, the sexiest demon of all! Range: eight (nine tile formation, star damage, may cause poison)
> 
> Appearance: Looks like Agnus, except her beanie has a heart shaped skull, and wears a velvet red sweater with a black buttoned shirt, and white stylish jeans, she also has a pendant that their mother gave her around her neck. Her hair is also green, and her eyes are more human, colored purple.
> 
> Description: The twin sister of Agnus, but is the complete opposite. Just about anyone can get along with her, due to her cute, innocent, naive nature. She has been searching for Agnus ever since they were separated at birth, and always tries to break up a fight. Whenever someone tries to take advantage of her, however, Agnus goes overboard, and proceeds to beat the ever loving shit out of them. Due to this, everyone has made a mental note never to get on his bad side whenever his sister is involved.  
> other.
> 
> Evility: Heart-felt prayer: Restores 10% health every turn


	51. Chapter 47 - Gates of Hell

**Chapter 47 - Gates of Hell**

* * *

After the long journey from the human world back to the academy, preparations needed to be made. It made sense to stop at the nurse's office first, tend to the wounds that basic magic and items couldn't heal. Everyone who rested there savoured the feeling of safety and comfort, trying to ignore the pressure of the upcoming battle as best they could. Some were afraid of the outcome, others were confident, but they all felt an unspoken dread regarding the battle and the consequences of it, regardless of whether they won or not.

And yet it was the humans, the ones least invested in the battle with the Super Hero that felt the burden of this conflict the greatest. Kirijo idly loaded and unloaded his pistol, trying to put the thought of his daughter being in danger as far away from his mind as possible. Chidori drew on anything she could, scribbling out anything that reminded her that the person she loved was risking his life at this very moment. And Shinjiro felt an even greater pressure than either of them, not just dealing with the fear that Hamuko might die in The Fall, but that in the process of trying to save her, he was now responsible for the lives of all his new allies. How the dread of losing even one of them hadn't crushed him yet was a mystery to even him. And that wasn't all that troubled him...

He glanced over to one side, seeing Matildo tending to Mei. Her question back at the portal to the human world was still affecting him, filling him with doubt. What his opinion of her was had proved so confusing to him, because he wasn't sure how much her resemblance to his love affected him. He plagued himself with questions, wondering if he was distracted by that familiar face or if he started to see her for who she was rather than who she resembled.

He looked at her every so often during her treatment, the questions causing his eyes to lock onto her. Once, she glanced back, their eyes meeting for a fraction of a second before he looked away again, but in that brief time he saw the same confusion, doubt and uncertainty in her eyes that he was feeling in his soul. He wondered if she saw the same in him, and that made him remember that he had to lead people into battle. He couldn't show these feelings if he expected them to follow, so he tried his best to bury them.

Inevitably, he heard footsteps approaching. Glancing up at them, he was surprised to see a face he wasn't particularly familiar with, yet whom he had fought alongside several times now; Princess Sapphire. With the princess standing next to him, anyone seeing the two would be able to see a distinct contrast between her optimistic expression and bright appearance and his more dour mood and darker choice of outfit. He didn't understand why she was so cheerful right now, but then again he doubted she knew why he wasn't.

"Sir Shinjiro? Sir Mao and his forces are ready. Since we expected you to join us for the battle, I thought it would be best to let you know." Something about being called Sir didn't sound natural to him, but he ignored that and nodded at her statement, glancing over at the allies that still followed him. It seemed they were all ready as well, and several of them only seemed to be growing restless as time went on. The battle couldn't wait any longer.

"Alright. Lead the way."

Everyone stood to follow, not noticing a certain female ally keeping a noticeable distance behind them all as she walked.

* * *

Just a few feat from where the group of humans and demons had rested, a figure in black rested in one of the now increasingly rare beds the clinic had to offer. His wound, while significantly better than they had been not long ago, were still an unhealthy red, and his breathing was still far rougher than it should have been. Despite the best efforts to heal him, he still hadn't awoken.

And as Shinjiro glanced at him as he passed, he noticed that the girl in pink was waiting at this side, surprisingly patiently for someone who had been the cause of his injuries. He didn't like the idea of her being left unattended here, but then again, he had numerous reasons not to like her in general, and he'd made his opinion of the other man clear in the past. But, unfortunately, he didn't have time to argue and even if he did, they'd probably just tell him that he's letting his personal opinions affect his judgement.

For now, he had no choice but to let them stay, but he wasn't going to drop his guard till either they were gone or he was back home.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Mao acted like he didn't care when the other group arrived, not that Shinjiro cared much how the white haired Demon acted anymore. As long as they could defeat Aurum and move on, Mao could talk down to him to his heart's content. What was more surprising was where the bespectacled leader claimed the battle would take place; his own home. Remembering back to the time he ventured to the Overlord's Castle, he supposed that it fit the dramatic story that their enemy seemed to be trying to craft around himself and Mao, and he guessed they didn't need another reason. He settled for just heading straight there so he can put all this behind him.

If he had been surprised when he learned where they would be battling, he was even more surprised when he actually saw it. In such a short amount of time, it had been so radically changed, with its once gothic architecture replaced with immaculate white walls, floors and ceilings, with patterns resembling circuitry running along everything, pillars redesigned to resemble giant swords, strange displays projected onto random walls, red lines running along the floor and a winged gold emblem hanging over a red and black door.

He was not the only one confused at the sudden redecoration of the once grim castle, as he heard Mao mutter to himself. "Hmmmm? This is...my home? What a drastic change since the brief time I was away. What's with this dazzling cleanliness?"

The pink-clad ninja that hung around Beryl spoke up from one side of the room. "Oh my, even the corners... See, not a single speak of dust!"

"I've never seen floors polished this clean! It even sparkles!" Her friend, the samurai, said, agreeing with the assessment, before their leader spoke up.

"This is just amazing. Kyoko, Asuka, take pictures. As expected of the Super Hero, I guess. At least this cleanliness is something we should strive for."

"...Seriously? Can you three maybe talk about this later?" Shinjiro asked, not really expecting an answer, let alone a good one. He could just hear Almaz mutter something about how Aurum was technically squatting in Mao's home, and officially gave up on trying to put logic back into this conversation. He only bothered to listen when Sapphire spoke up, pointing at the stairs.

"...Looks like Mao's guess was right on. Here's our greeting." Sure enough, a glowing ruin had appeared where she was pointing and, with a bright flash, it vanished, leaving their enemy in its place. Mao instantly went to address his foe.

"Super Hero! You...!" Before he could continue, Aurum glared at him, and spoke in a voice of contempt.

"...Why are you here? You were supposed to head to the human world." All the humans present felt their fists clench and their glares grow sharper at those words, as they realised the intent of his words. To be so obsessed with his own glory that he would sacrifice billions of innocent lives... Shinjiro couldn't allow him to escape unpunished for that, and neither could Kirijo or Chidori. It was just a matter of getting to him before Mao or Sapphire did.

"The only target I have my sights set on is you, Super Hero!" Mao declared proudly, his weapon in hand to emphasise his point. Others began readying their weapons, just in case. The robbed figure looked noticeably unimpressed, more annoyed than angry, and far from intimidated.

"Hmm... It doesn't look like you've awakened either. The plan failed. I thought it would be the final touch..." His frustration leaked into his tone. How he could be so calm in the face of so many weapons was proof of how insignificant he thought they were.

Even though he was clearly amongst the more nervous, Almaz spoke up, confronting his former idol. "Super Hero Aurum, sir! Why did you do this?"

Finally glancing at the blue haired swordsman, Aurum tilted his head slightly. "Hm? ...I thought you died?"

"How did you know about that?" Sapphire asked, before something seemed to click inside her mind "Unless... Of course! It was you."

The former hero turned to one side, seemingly not noticing the almost feral glare the princess was now giving him, and started talking more to himself than any of them. "That curse should have been perfect... Don't tell me you regained your title of hero?"

In a moment, he had vanished form his place at the top of the stairs, before reappearing just in front of them all, seemingly angered for the first time by their presence. "Mao! You are such a fool! You opened up your heart!?"

Briefly trading anger for mild annoyance, Mao spoke up again. "Don't be stupid! Why is everyone accusing me of that!? It's impossible to open my heart!"

No-one was convinced, even the people who didn't know what was going on.

"But the fake hero is alive, and that is proof! A demon opened his heart!? You've submitted to friendship, too!? Demons must relish solitude. Loneliness is what develops evil power! Why can't you do anything right!?"

"Super Hero...sir?" Almaz tried to speak, but that just caused Aurum to start mumbling to himself till Mao grew impatient.

"Hey! What are you mumbling about!? I was hoping to settle this today..." He said, clearly losing his patience, a feeling Shinjiro was starting to share.

"One who has opened his heart has no right to rule. You're far from what I expect of an ideal Overlord. Why won't you become cruel, cold-blooded, and powerfully evil? An Overlord like your father!"

"Says the guy willing to butcher every living thing on a planet for his own ego!" Shinjiro yelled, finally sick of hearing this guy talk. "You think you have the right to decide who he is and what he does? Hate to break it you, asshole, but the world doesn't work that way! Way I see it, the cruellest, most cold-blooded and evil person here is you! So you want to see your 'ideal Overlord'? Go look in a mirror sometime!"

"And what right do you have to be here!? I don't even know who you are! You're just some punk that wandered into OUR story!" Aurum yelled, for the first time acknowledging that Shinji and his group were even there. But he didn't feel intimidated, especially once Kirijo and Chidori appeared on either side of him.

"Life is not a story you can write for someone else. You cannot force someone else to live a life that they reject!" Kirijo spoke in a level tone, but venom could be heard in his words, showing a clear contempt for the man in-front of him.

"And to act like it's someone else's fault when you don't get your way? You're no better than a child throwing a tantrum." Chidori was the calmest of the three, but the axe in her hands was clear proof that she was willing to punish this man for all he had done. He still didn't look impressed, going back to ignoring them in favour of Mao.

"200 years... What a waste of time. I thought I saw your potential... But you're a complete failure."

"...Failure!?"

"No matter how strong you get, a demon who's awakened to friendship has no right to be an Overlord." His continued condescending tone annoyed basically everyone there, particularly Mao, who took special exception to his choice of words.

"Stop saying such rude things to me! I didn't awaken to any friendship! These guys are just my servants!" He said, as if anyone believed him at this point. Aurum paused, a look of contempt still resting on his features.

"*Sigh* You don't even meet the criteria to die at my hands. You're a complete and utter disappointment."

"How dare you say that to me!?" Mao spat in rage, everything said by the former hero seeming to just make him angrier, not that the older man cared.

"What happened to that spark of promise? The one time it looked like you might unleash a wonderful power..." He practically muttered the last part, clearly disappointed at whatever event he referred to. Numerous people wondered what he meant, but he clearly didn't care to explain, as proven when he turned his back to them and took a step towards the staircase.

Mao took offence to that, and spoke up again. "Damn you! Are you running again!?"

"Your evil is beneath my notice. I'm sure my stupid demon underlings would be happy to take out my garbage. And by that, I mean you. Hahaha. Burn!" The robed man said, and Shinjiro couldn't help but note how childish and dull the insult was, and how the attempt to add a modern slang word to it just made it even worse. He was honestly starting to feel embarrassed that THIS was his final obstacle to overcome before returning home, but a certain blue-haired swordsman was experiencing different emotions.

"Please wait! Are you really the Super Hero?" Almaz asked, almost sounding lost at the idea of who he was facing. The man gave no response, nor did he even glance back at the one addressing him. "...Sir Aurum?"

Aurum paused for a moment before answering, his gave still averted from his enemies. "Tell me, imposter, do you know what a hero requires most to remain a hero?"

Almaz seemed confused by the question, but answered anyway. "Do you mean the basics? That would be courage, of course! And a heart full of love and justice!"

"Hmph, how lame..."

"Lame!? But that's-"

Aurum cut him off before he could finish, clearly already deciding that whatever Almaz had to say wasn't worth his time. "If you don't know the answer to the simplest hero trivia question, how can you ever hope to be a hero?"

"Well, what is it then?" The former hero disappeared from sight when the question was asked, re-appearing at the top of the staircase, making the less emotional involved in this conflict wonder if he just hated walking and was being lazy. Then again, most of the ones who thought that had experience dealing with someone who teleported a lot and threw insults at them, so perhaps they had just gotten bored of the trick.

"That will be your homework assignment. Though, you'll have to find a way to survive long enough to complete it." The once famed hero practically sneered with every word, arrogance dripping off every syllable. Realising what this meant, Shinjiro and Mao rushed up the stairs as fast as they could, only for their for to once again vanish before they could get to him.

"Wait! You're not getting away from me this time!" The white haired demon screamed at the now empty space, as he turned to see if Aurum was anywhere to be seen. Alas, he was gone, and instead, the eyes of all gathered witnessed dozens of seniors flow into the room from every entrance. Mao's allies called up to him at the sight.

"Mao! We've got enemies! Looks like we're surrounded!"

"If we want to fight the Super Hero, we're going to have to annihilate these guys first. Shall we?"

Mao answered with confidence and purpose. "You should know the answer! I have one goal in mind! To beat down that bastard!"

No-one argued with that desire, and everyone pointed whatever weapons they had in whatever direction had the closest threat. The metal armed Persona user and the son of the Overlord wound up pressing their backs together as enemies moved to flank them. Despite their differences and mutual dislike of physical contact, the two felt comfortable in that moment, with the same need to win flowing through their veins. Though neither would admit it, they both felt a smirk sneaking onto their lips, knowing that their enemies stood no chance.

"You'd better not slow me down, Mao. I won't hesitate to leave you and finish this myself."

"Slow you down? Ha! By the time you catch up, I'll have done all the work!"

Even their jabs at each other were more playful than they'd been in the past. Perhaps combat against a greater foe was such common ground that even they could agree on it? Or maybe their previous battles had matured them both to the point they could stand each other?

...No, they must just have both REALLY wanted to beat up Aurum, and refused to acknowledge any sort of actual camaraderie or that the other had in any way grown. Mao also refused to acknowledge that he had in any way changed, but that was nothing new.

So, in wordless agreement to not acknowledge the fact they actually agreed on something, the two raised their weapons and charged, signalling the battle to begin, with the fate of Evil Academy resting on the outcome of this war.

* * *

When the first wave of Seniors lay beaten at the feet of the combined forces of demons and humans, everyone was panting heavily. These ones had been tougher than their classmates, though not as challenging as Salvatore the Magnificent, so they had managed to get through it mostly unscathed. That didn't mean that everyone was fine though, with Samantha taking a blow to the shoulder to protect Saiduq from a sneak attack, Cross suffering a cut across the mid-section, and most of the followers of Mao that Shinjiro had never learned the names of were cut all over. Still, they were in much better shape than their enemies, with the only one even vaguely conscious soon being knocked out by a kick to the head from Aki.

"Too easy!" He said confidently. "Where's the real challenge?"

What came next did not appear to be a real challenge, but was instead a trio of Petite Orcs. They didn't look particularly strong, and the look Mao's group shot them implied as much. The middle one stepped forward and began to speak in a tone not expected of Demons, giving away that they were under Aurum's mind control. "We can't allow disruptions in our classroom! We have to stop you!"

Mao was clearly not impressed as he addressed them. "Hmph! The Trio de Losers..."

"If I'm gonna die, you're coming with me! I will allow myself to blow you up with this Prinny Bomb!" Said the one on the right, producing what a Prinny from his pouch. It didn't move, implying it too was under the hypnotic control of the Seniors.

"This is for the peace of the academy! And for our dear Super Hero!" The last one said, his tone identical to his brothers, none showing any fear of their kamikaze attack plan. As if on cue, the Prinny pulled a large bomb out of its satchel, and the entire combined group flinched. It was a large, almost cartoonish bomb, but with how things are in the Netherworld, no-one doubted that it was powerful.

Kirijo was the first to speak up about the danger of the situation. "This is not good... If a bomb that large goes off, it could cause this part of the castle to collapse right on top of us...!"

"And they don't even care that they'll die too. We can't reason with them, and they'll detonate it before we can summon our Personas..." Chidori muttered, noticing that the Prinny's flipper rested on a menacing button, and would no doubt press it if they made any move to stop them. Then again, it would press it anyway, so they seemed doomed either way.

Shinjiro stayed silent, his eyes darting around for any sort of solution. If he could attack the Prinny fast enough, he might stop the detonation, but he doubted he had the speed for it. Even if he did pull it off, the bomb had a timer as well, one that didn't give them enough time to disarm it. He couldn't help but curse that he had gotten so far in his journey through Evil Academy, only to have no solution for something as simple as a bomb. Glancing to his allies proved they weren't coming up with any ideas either. He could see some muttering ideas to themselves, but going nowhere, while some just grit their teeth in frustration. They couldn't even run, because if the bomb went off as predicted, it would probably destroy any cover they tried to take, and bring the ceiling down on them at the same time. No matter what, they seemed to be in a no-win scenario.

"Dieeee! For the Super Hero!" The leader of the three yelled out, with the timer rapidly approaching zero. With no better plan, everyone entered their best defensive stance, hoping they could at least endure the blast. Some even tried to protect those close to them any way they could. But while Shinjiro raised his right arm to try and protect his face from the explosion, he felt a gust of wind move past him, even though they were indoors. Startled, he instinctively looked, and saw something he never expected, and doubted he'd ever forget.

Mao, the Demon he'd butted heads with throughout his journey, the one who saw him as an experiment, fought him, belittled him, and whom barely seemed to care for anyone but himself, had leapt forwards, tackling the Prinny and the bomb to the ground, covering them both with his chest. The second he did, it went off, causing the whole room to shake, cracks to appear on every surface, and fire to spread in random directions from where Mao couldn't properly cover the detonation. When the explosions faded, the room was damaged, but still standing. Everyone, friend and foe, was still alive and the flames had never reached any of the Honour Student's allies. But most surprisingly of all, despite crouching over a sizeable hole in the floor and being covered in burn marks, Mao was still alive and conscious.

"Grhh...!" He grunted, which was an understatement to the pain such a blast must have caused. Shinjiro was speechless at the sight, and could barely hear the surprised remarks of those around him. He was vaguely aware that all of the Overlord's son's allies had run over to him, but their speech seemed far away, and he couldn't help but look at Mao and Almaz, bantering with each other as if nothing was wrong. He knew now without a doubt that the swordsman's faith in the demon had been well placed, not that he'd ever admit it.

Part of him even envied Mao in that moment. While he'd been debating what to do, the other man just acted on instinct, motivated by a denied sense of loyalty to his allies. He had saved them, and he begrudgingly had to admit that to himself, though he doubted he'd admit it to the demon, lest he never hear the last of it.

The whole time, the three Orcs seemed to be reacting to the scene with confusion, as if it was somehow weakening the Senior's control over them. Champloo leapt towards them at the sight, and spoke in his usual, confusing way. "You freshman, don't fall back on your brainwashing! Steel your hearts! Eat up! Today's Mao's Heart Special Day! It is indeed a hearty meal! If you don't understand the seasoning, you don't deserve to eat! You can starve for the rest of your life, boom!"

...And in an instant, all attempts at poignant thoughts were banished from his mind, as he remembered that Demons were all eccentric, unpredictable, and generally very, VERY strange. Even with his own knowledge of cooking, the Persona user had no idea what was just said, and was completely lost, as if all his time in the Netherworld hadn't convinced him of a single thing about demons. But he did consider that perhaps that was part of their charm, and decided to only get slightly annoyed about it, even when the Orcs started glowing, which he decided to just not question.

"Aragaki?"

"Yeah, Kirijo?"

"Do you follow any of what is happening right now?"

"Not a goddamned word." The confused men nodded to each other, and vaguely acknowledged what was happening was probably good. Chidori was even more confused, and had reached a state where she couldn't even put her numerous questions into words. Seeing her confusion, and remembering a time that sort of reaction wouldn't have been out of character for him, Shinji placed a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her that this was just as weird as she thought it was. "Just try to pretend this is all normal, and it'll be over before you know it."

"...I see. In that case..." Taking his suggestion a little too literally, Chidori pulled out a sketchbook and pencils no-one had seen her buy, and started drawing. The reassuring hand on her shoulder was now a face on its owners palm. He was getting used to demonic antics, not suspecting he might have to deal with similar strangeness from his human allies. Still, at least she wasn't trying to kill Kirijo, so he could afford to rest his mind a little. Then again, with some of his antics, Kirijo was probably going to get himself killed if he left him alone too long. Shinjiro almost felt like he was babysitting these two, and he couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the thought. The weirdness was getting to him.

But now wasn't the time for sentimentality, as proven when a squad of Ninjas appeared in-front of them, followed by an equally large force of Magic Knights, lead by an Exorcist. Sighing, Shinjiro readied himself, holding his sword over his shoulder, ready to cut any enemy that got too close to him. To his right Chidori carefully put away her sketchbook and grabbed her axe again, while to his left, Kirijo finished reloading and held his revolver and aimed it towards the enemy forces, keeping his sword lowered for now.

The rest of his allies fell into a formation as well, a grinning Aki going straight to the front, with Masaru staying close. Saiduq and Samantha flanked the two of them, looking a little wary at the idea of having to fight much longer before even reaching Aurum. Behind them, Mei held her spear ready, and Damia floated above them, ready to cast spells when needed. The more strategic looked over the situation, trying to get an estimate on the threat level of these enemies, and how much energy they could afford to waste here. They knew they had to keep going, but if they tried to run ahead, these enemies would just stab them in the back, and engaging them would tire them out, and there's no guarantee more seniors wouldn't show up afterwards.

"Boss, leave them to us. Go after that other guy, homes!" One of the Orcs said to Mao. Evidently, whatever it was that the humans didn't quite understand had broken the brainwashing on them, and their loyalties had shifted to the Honour Student. They could tell from the voice, now clear of the unnatural tone that all the controlled students shared. Mao scoffed at the suggestion.

"Those are seniors. You won't even be able to buy us any time."

"Don't sell us short, boss. Our family has endured a lot of hardships." Said the second Orc, confidently. Though Mao may not have believed they could be of use, it was clear they all had a sense of pride that was only fitting of a demon, and that they wouldn't back down from this challenge, no matter the odds. Even their supposed boss had a slight smirk on his face as he addressed them again.

"Hmm, well you seem confident. Who are you going to bring to fight for you this time?"

"The jokes on you, ese! We'll show you our true powers!" And with that, all three raised their weapons into the air, and at that exact moment, hundreds of Orcs appeared behind the senior forces, all armed with the same menacing looking maces. Between their looks, their weapons and the fact they were organised to block the seniors in, they looked fairly intimidating, and ready to beat up anything that got in their way. Everyone was caught off guard by the sudden reinforcements.

"Whoa, wait a minute. Don't tell me these are all your siblings." Was Mao's response, being the first to regain himself after seeing the magnitude of this army.

"You got it! These're all my tios, tias, nephews and cousins, weddo. Yer looking at 200 thousand of the Vato Brothers." The humans visibly recoiled at that number. To them, the idea of having a family that huge was simply impossible, and their brains seemed to actively be trying to deny that they just heard that, even though they knew they did.

While they tried to process that fact and ignore it at the same time, the lead Vato spoke again. "Go on, Boss! Get outta here, ese."

"Alright, I leave it to you!" Mao turned his back to them, casually shrugging as he did. He wasn't even trying to hide his grin, though he'd still never admit to the sense of pride in his subordinates for this, though he did choose to give them a little acknowledgment for this act, before heading further into the castle. "...I see you guys in a new light."

With the impressive numbers, everyone figured they were free to move onwards, and were content to head further inside. No doubt there'd be just as many enemies indoors, so they all needed to head forwards together. Shinjiro moved towards the front, placing himself next to Mao, and keeping an eye out for potential threats. The body language of the demon next to him implied he was more casual about random attacks, and was focussed only on Aurum, but after what just happened, he doubted that was the case. He also suspected if he brought it up, it would just get the two arguing again, so he buried that thought and focussed on moving forwards, his scowl returning to him as he wondered about what battles he'd have to endure on the path upwards.

* * *

He should have known more problems would arise, and it was the most obvious one that life could have thrown at them; the branching path. A little while ago, this wouldn't have been a problem, since Mao should have easily been able to guide them through his own home. However, since the entire building had been redesigned, he looked just as confused as every one else, and debating which of the two paths to follow right now. As much as none of them liked it, they all knew there was only one solution. It was just that no-one wanted to be the one to say it.

"Hmm, juggling too many dishes is a problem, but abandoning one will leave us all starving!" Champloo said in as thoughtful a tone as seemed possible for him. "A team of chefs for each course should make for a tasty treat, boom!"

They all sighed, knowing that he was right, but not wanting to divide their forces if they didn't have to. Nevertheless, everyone gathered around the one they considered their leader, once again separating Mao and Shinjiro's groups, with the two leaders standing face to face. "If I get there first, I can't guarantee I'll wait for you, Mao."

"Heh, I was about to say the same. So don't keep me waiting!" The two glared at each other, more out of obligation than any legitimate anger anymore, not that either would admit it. Without another word, the demon left up a flight of stairs, signalling for his team to follow him, which they loyally did. Almaz was the last to leave, extending his hand to Shinjiro beforehand.

"See you at the top?" A metal hand soon wrapped around the hero's own, in a firm, yet comforting gesture.

"You think any of these seniors can stop us?"

"Haha, no I bet they can't." Almaz still looked a little uncertain about having to fight the Super Hero, but his laughter was genuine, if a little awkward and nervous. "Take care."

"You too." Releasing his grip, Shinji signalled for the others to follow him, as Almaz ran to catch up with his own group. Behind him, he could hear the constant footsteps of his allies, first walking, then jogging to keep up with him, as well as the constant flapping sound of a pair of leathery wings. For now, all of them put thoughts of personal problems out of their minds, or used them to motivate themselves to succeed that much faster. And so they climbed up the pristine stairways their enemy had left for them, eager to end this, no matter the odds.

* * *

In a room further into the castle, a man with white hair and mismatched eyes sat patiently, while a blonde man paced around him and a man in a blood-stained black coat rolled around on the floor randomly. The blonde impatiently ran his hand down the handle of an axe he kept at his side, before turning to the patient man. "Can't we just go deal with them?"

"No. We have better chances here. We wait." Came the simple response. The third man in their group moved closer at this, so close that most would feel uncomfortable, but the leader of the trio didn't even turn to look at him.

"Is Mao coming this way? Is he? Is he, is he, is he?" Magatsu sounded positively ecstatic as he considered that he might meet his target at last.

"We'll see. Patience." And just like that, Magatsu instantly groaned in boredom and annoyance at the vague answer, bending backwards more than most would say is healthy. Raiga practically growled at the boredom, deciding to speak once more.

"Look, you guys can wait here all you want, but I'm gonna-"

"Going to what?" Came a fourth voice from further into the room. Stepping from a hall on the opposite side was a green-haired man in a red hoodie over a black shirt, with a similarly dark pair of tattered slacks. He was smirking in a carefree manner, but something about his eyes made him seem more dangerous. "I hope you're not going to ruin dear Ghosty's plan, are you?"

"A Diez Gentleman... What are you doing here?" Raiga asked, readying himself for a fight. Even though they were on the same side, he knew only a fool would trust the seniors, and such a high ranking member was bound to be extra sneaky. Honestly, he was hoping that the other man would attack, just so he could test himself against one of these legendary warriors.

"Boss wanted me here. Says that you and Ghost's target is on his way here. The four of us are to deal with him and his companions." He stopped when he felt Magatsu press against him.

"Is it Mao!?"

"I'm sorry, Magatsu, but Mao took the other road. But the sooner you kill, kill, KILL the scum coming our way, the sooner you can go to Mao and do...whatever it is you want to do. Doesn't that sound fun?" The Diez Gentleman patted Magatsu's head as he spoke, almost condescendingly, as the mad demon rolled his head around in frustration.

The original leader of the group, Ghost, spoke up, not turning to their new companion. "If that's our orders, fine. But my orders are to deal with the one known as Aragaki. The rest of you handle his companions."

"Oh no! I'M the one taking that guy down! I still owe him for what he did to my eye!" Raiga yelled, pointing at bandage covering half his face, a constant reminder of his last battle with the Persona user. Once again, the senior spoke up.

"Guys, come on! We can ALL take a bite out of him and all the others who try to stop us. And if someone doesn't play nice, they'll have to explain to the boss why their ego got in the way of the job. Kay?" He didn't bother hiding the threatening implications of his last statement, and it seemed to work just well enough to keep Raiga from attacking Ghost. With the situation resolved, he went to the front of the platform they were all on, and sat on the edge, eyes glued to the entranceway, as he casually drew a short sword from behind his back.

"I've heard good things about this Aragaki. Let's hope he doesn't disappoint~!"


	52. Chapter 48 - Four Horsemen

**Chapter 48 - Four Horsemen**

* * *

The steps seemed to go on forever, needlessly extending further and further into the Overlord's castle, turning randomly and spiralling every so often. Anyone could see it was an attempt to stall them, while at the same time forcing them to expend energy before they reached anything important. Thankfully, the adrenaline of being so close to their goal, and the desire to end all of this kept them going, fatigue being refused to enter their minds or bodies.

That didn't mean they couldn't complain about it though.

"We've got to have climbed over 5000 steps by now, right?"

"Oh, so we're halfway?"

"Sad thing is, I think you might be right..."

Shinjiro tried to ignore them, and focussed ahead, knowing that enemies could appear at any moment, even in this seemingly enclosed stairway. He kept wondering if he should have tried to take the other path and put Mao on this one, but he knew that with his luck, it wouldn't have made a difference. Though he didn't pay attention to the words, his allies casual conversation at least proved that enemies weren't attacking them from behind right now. Still, he knew stubbornness could only fuel them for so long, and that the sooner they reached the top of the stairs, the better.

To make matters worse, one person wasn't speaking up, and he couldn't help but guess why. At the back, Mei seemed to be intentionally trailing behind everyone else, and hadn't said a word since they'd arrived at the castle. Though she didn't show it, her thoughts were filled with questions about the revelation of Hamuko, the one she resembled. She didn't want to think about what it meant, but it refused to leave her mind. She could only distract herself from the endless internal queries when she was fighting her enemies, and now there were none, giving her no respite. But there was one question that bothered her more than any other, one she couldn't answer and refused to be ignored.

_"Why do I care so much about who she is?"_

She hoped that something, anything, would distract her from these thoughts soon, before her inner thoughts become spoken questions.

"Up ahead!" The voice of the group's Succubus rang out, pointing ahead at a doorway into a larger area. She sounded more serious than normal, but the others attributed it to even her being bored of this endless hallway, even though she could fly over the steps the others had to scale one by one. She tried to fly ahead, further implying that hypothesis, only for Shinjiro to grab her ankle and pull her back.

"Slow down!" He chastised, moving ahead of her again. "Every time we head into a big room, there's some asshole who tries to attack us! No rushing ahead!"

"Aww... And when you grabbed me, I was so hoping you were finally going to show me who's boss~." She said in response, in a tone that was playfully whiny, proving that even if she was treating this situation more importantly than usual, she still wasn't too concerned about what was going on. Since the Persona user was taking this seriously, he ignored her words entirely, and just signalled for everyone to get into formation, with the melee focussed fighters at the front, while Kiriijo, Chidori and Damia went to the back, as their leader wanted them to focus on magic mostly.

Carefully stepping forward, the found themselves in a wide room with no visible ceiling, and the entire centre of the room was taken up by a large elevated block impaled by giant swords, far beyond human capability to wield. It didn't take long to spot what they could only assume was a hostile; a man in a red hoodie, sitting on the edge of the block staring right at them, a calm grin on his face as he stood up. "It's about time you showed up! We were getting tired of waiting for you!"

"Let me guess. You're one of Aurum's goons, right?" Shinjiro said, sounding unimpressed, but not dropping his guard. The man ran a hand through his green hair, that smirk not fading for a second.

"I like to think I'm more than a goon. Maybe a henchman? I suppose it doesn't really matter, as long as I get the job done." The new enemy twirled a short sword around in his hands casually, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, though they couldn't be sure if he did it because he could, or to imply his talent with it. "Anyway, I think it's only fair you know my name before we begin. I am Hei, the dark assassin of the Diez Gentlemen! I expect you to give this fight your all, cause I'm not holding back!"

"Another Diez Gentleman... How do you want to handle this?" Saiduq said to the group's leader. Before he could answer, Samantha spoke up, addressing their foe.

"Why don't you tell your teammates to stop hiding? I can hear them shuffling around back there." Her ears twitched as she spoke, reminding those present that she had greater senses than most people. Hei seemed a little disappointed at being called out on the attempt at a sneak attack, before two figures walked up next to him, with a third shuffling erratically on all fours, till he was perched on the edge of the platform. Everyone there recognised two of them from their previous battle in the senior classrooms, and remembered how strong they had been. Shinjiro needed to use every resource available to him in order to knock out Raiga, though he felt a little more confident seeing that the blonde still carried the scars of their previous battle, hoping he could exploit it more.

What worried everyone else was Magatsu, the madman they'd faced while their leader and the enemy warrior had been clashing. Though he was clearly unstable, the swordman had managed to hold them all off by himself with barely any noticeable effort, only being defeated when Kirijo froze him solid. The older man hoped her could exploit the same trick again. The blood soaked man rested his chin on his hands and tilted his head slightly. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. We can't divide that by four. Nope, no, nah, nuh-uh. What to do, what to do?"

"Easy. I get payback on the leader, and the rest of you split the other eight amongst yourselves!" Raiga said without a moment's hesitation. The mystery individual stepped in-front of him before he was even finished speaking, his gaze never leaving Shinjiro.

"No. You had your chance. I will deal with the target personally." He said in a neutral tone, drawing a sword as he did. The blonde instantly took offense, and stepped around him.

"We went over this! I'm the one who deals with him, because I'M the one who deserves payback!" Raiga held up his axe as he spoke, making it look like he might soon attack his own ally. "So deal with the others, and I'll take him!"

He continued to complain to the other man, who at this point was clearly not listening, and was instead staring blankly at Shinjiro, his gaze constant and with few enough blinks that it would unnerve most men. The metal fisted warrior just glared back. Ignoring the circumstances entirely, Hei stepped around the attempt at an argument, and rested a hand on Magatsu's shoulder, causing the white haired swordsman to look up at him in curiosity. The assassin's smile widened. "Have fun, Magatsu~."

A few seconds passed before he received any sort of response, but when it happened, it was exactly what he wanted. Without a word, and faster than most would say is possible, Magatsu leapt from the platform, instantly drawing all attention to himself. Before anyone could even process what was happening, he flipped in mid-air and planted the heel of his right foot on top of Damia's head. A moment later she was crashing not into the floor, but directly into Kirijo, who had failed to dodge the falling Succubus in time. Their attacker finished this initial showing by landing on both of them afterwards, both feet digging into the woman's stomach. He even raised his arms as if he had just performed at a sporting event, and was waiting for someone to tell him his score, as everyone except Hei stared at him in stunned silence.

It didn't take long for the teammates of the injured two to instinctively attack the opponent they were all surrounding. Aki was the first to react, aiming a spinning kick at his target's head, only to be met with nothing but air, as Magatsu casually leaned back before he could receive injury, and then straightened himself instantly at the exact right moment to dodge an upward slash from Masaru. As he rose, he drew his sword and lazily swung it in a circle around himself, and though the attack looked weak, everyone there knew better, and dodged on instinct, creating some space between him and them.

At that moment, Ghost snapped his fingers, and a line of blue Geo Panels appeared across the battlefield. Most had been on one side of it, having moved sideways when they dodged Magatsu's attack. The only exception was Shinjiro, who had been forced to move closer to the remaining enemies. Now, as he tried to cross the blue line to attack Magatsu, he realised that the attack had not been random, but instead carefully calculated to push everyone in a specific way. He figured it out when his hand touched an invisible wall just above the line.

Samantha caught sight of this out of the corner of her eye, before it widened with dread. "No Entry panels! They've trapped him!"

"Bingo, little Neko! Our orders were to deal with this one, and now we won't be interrupted. But if you're worried about watching your leader die, don't." Hei said in a cocky tone, gesturing dramatically as he spoke. "Magatsu will be happy to distract you from the slaughter~!"

Not waiting any longer, Raiga leapt from the platform and hurtled towards the Persona user, his axed ready to crush him in a single strike. Barely having enough time to react, Shinji dodged mostly on instinct, almost collapsing as his feet reconnected with the ground. The moment he was balanced, he had to raise his sword to block a second attack by the blonde, which he forced downwards, briefly trapping his attacker and bringing them face-to-face. "Guess I really fucked up your face, huh?"

"And soon, we'll match!" The two pushed each other away at the same time, staggering backwards. Raiga spun his axe in his hands, trying to goad the other man into attacking. But Shinjiro remained where he was, holding his blade over his shoulder in a stance that would let him strike quickly the moment a foe got close enough. Raiga began slowly circling around him, making it harder to predict when he might charge.

Then he side stepped into the Geo Panels and came to a surprised halt. As he began cursing under his breath and trying to recompose himself after the unexpected contact, his opponent stared at him in confusion, before remembering that the blonde's bandaged eye will have given him a massive blind spot that he hadn't gotten used to yet. His instincts kicked in before he could stop them, and he rushed towards his staggering foe, knowing that if he could capitalise on this moment, he had a chance to end their fight before it could truly begin.

In his rush, he had neglected to consider the remaining combatants, and had to abruptly stop when Hei appeared in front of him, blade already swinging for his midsection. He was able to step back quickly enough to avoid taking the full force of the attack, but an inch of the blade still carved through his side with enough speed to create a small arc of blood. He didn't get a moment to relax, as the voice of Cator echoed in his mind. _"Behind you!"_

Not having enough time to dodge a second attack, Shinjiro lowered his sword along the length of his back, hoping it would block whatever attack was incoming. For once, luck was on his side, as he felt the edge of another weapon collide with his own, barely being deflected in time. Barely a moment afterward, the assassin in-front of him made a second attack, this time sweeping at his head from the side. To survive, the Persona user ignored the pain he was in, and forced himself to roll in the same direction the blade was swinging, needing to do so just to have enough time to lower his head under the attack. He landed on one knee, and had to force himself back to his feet afterwards, his wound already aching.

As he rose, his three attackers formed a line in-front of him, each bearing a different expression. The passionate Raiga looked angrily over at his allies, clearly unhappy at having his duel interrupted. The mysterious Ghost bore no expression, his thoughts and emotions hidden behind blank eyes. But Hei, who stood in the centre of the group, was the most troubling by appearances, for his expression never changed from that cheerful smirk he wore when he first appeared. Either he was using it to hide his true thoughts, or he was legitimately enjoying preying on the weakened foe. Neither were reassuring.

Not far away, yet helpless to intervene right now, his allies wanted to find the source of the barrier, only for each of their attempts to rapidly give way to dodging or blocking the attacks of their own opponent. Something about Magatsu's movements made him hard to predict, and his speed allowed him to keep anyone from moving far enough to find any Geo Blocks to destroy. The only positive to this was that he had long since moved off of Damia and Kirijo, allowing them both to rise back up. Currently, everyone circled the mad warrior, none eager to launch the first attack, but all knowing that if they don't, he will.

Taking a chance, Kirijo made the first move, summoning his Persona to freeze his foe, hoping to end this battle the same way he did last time. Heracles held his palm outwards towards the blood soaked man, who had turned to look at it with as much focus as he usually displayed. A cold wind full of tiny slow flakes drifted around them all, before centring in on Magatsu at speed. But while he was clearly unstable mentally, he was not incapable of learning from his past, as proven when he performed a backflip just before the ice forged. He landed on Saiduq's shoulder, kicking off of it in a way to damage it before he could react, finishing his movement by slicing through the ice that almost froze him, and scattering it around the battlefield.

A quick burst of fire from Medea kept Chidori, Samantha and Aki from being stabbed by the sharp shards, though everyone else had to fend for themselves, to minimal success. Most of them got grazing wounds on their arms, but little else from the chaotic attack. Seizing an opportunity, their attacker rushed Masaru, who had instinctively blocked the icicles with his sword, leaving him wide open to a sudden attack from a different angle. The only reason he didn't cut right through the ronin was because of a timely kick by Samantha, which only connected because her target had made the mistake of leaping mid attack, limiting his defensive options.

Reacting to the kick with reflexes beyond most living beings, Magatsu threw his sword into the wall at just the right angle to then land on it. "Oh? You're putting up a fight? But the longer I fight you, the less time I have for Mao...! No choice but to KILL! SLICE! TEAR APART! ERADICATE YOU ALL!"

The group gathered opposite the unnerving enemy, none taking their eyes off him for even a second. Without thinking, Kirijo started giving instructions. "Anyone with a ranged attack, use it to keep him at bay. Melee fighters cover them. And someone get us through this barrier!"

No-one felt like arguing, as he and Chidori readied their Personas, while Damia and Mei both readied what magic they had. Saiduq, already injured, yet knowing he was among the fastest, got ready to run for as long as necessary to find the Geo Block sustaining the No Entry border. They all knew that removing it would leave them open to attack from the other three enemies, but that if they left Shinjiro alone with them, he may not survive long enough for them to defeat Magatsu.

The man in question was not having an easy battle. He had instantly needed to let his metal arm take a hit to deflect a fast attack from Ghost, who hit with enough force to leave a noticeable cut down the prosthetic limb. Pushing his arm as the enemy hit did push the assailant off to one side so he could block an incoming attack from Hei with his sword, and as swiftly as possible dodge an axe swing by Raiga. The fight had barely started, and he was already exhausted from blocking in every direction. He could feel Castor clawing at his mind. _"Summon me! Release me! Become one with me and let me handle this!"_

He had never been more tempted to listen to the voice in his head, as he knew this was a losing battle. But the enemies were attacking to suddenly to give him a chance to summon Castor, and if he got his timing wrong with their fusion, he'd burn through his energy before the fight was over, and then he'd still be too exhausted to confront the true enemy. He wanted to perform either action, but for now he held himself back, and resorted instead to ducking another sword swing from Ghost, then rushing forward to cut at Raiga. Of all of the enemies, he was in the worst shape, so if he could subdue him, it would boost his chances against the other two.

The thunder themed man may have had a disadvantage compared to his allies, but he was still a highly skilled warrior, a fact supported when he used his axe to block the force of the attack, bringing Shinjiro to a halt. Once again, he left himself open to attacks from the remaining opponents, both of whom swung at him before he could block. The pain seared through him as they cut a large X along his back, which was only amplified when Raiga capitalised on him flinching at that moment to punch him across the face. Hei instantly capitalised on the blow spinning the helpless hero towards him, by grabbing him by the hair and forcing him downwards, just as he rose his knee up to meet his defenceless face, releasing him at the moment of impact, so he might be knocked towards Ghost. The final villain caught him and kicked him in the back of the knee, forcing him to kneel, as he prepared his sword to end this with one last swing.

Shinjiro tried to force himself upright, but every attempt was met with pain, either from straining his wounds or from Ghost applying pressure personally. He saw no choice if he wanted to keep his head attached to his shoulders. Hoping he had enough time, he prepared to fuse with Castor, throwing all caution to the wind.

He was not expecting to not need to do so, but Raiga proved it was unnecessary when he blocked Ghost's attack. "I told you...! He's...mine...!"

"You're interfering, Ryuuji. I will kill you if you don't get out of my way." Always the professional, no emotion showed in his voice, contrasting with the anger of the one was locking blades with him. While they stared each other down, Hei sighed, sheathed his sword and pulled Shinjiro to his feet.

"How irritating, right? Those two can just never get along. Then again, if Ghost had his way, we'd be ending this fight too soon for my liking. I just know you've got more to give, right?"

The Persona user stared blankly at this enemy, only receiving a huge grin in response. Having someone trying to kill him speak to him in such a friendly manner was...actually, it wasn't any stranger than anything else he'd encountered in the Netherworld, so he decided to focus less on the surprise of it, and more on being thankful he'd get a chance to survive a little longer. As long as he could survive, he could win.

At the same time as that was happening, Magatsu stepped off the handle of his sword and pulled it free of the wall. The second he took even a step forward, Kirijo gave the order they'd been waiting for "FIRE!"

Mei was the first to attack, launching several orbs of monochrome energy, followed swiftly by Damia sending a fireball straight at him. Kirijo and Chidori were still waiting for an ideal shot after this first wave of attacks, and charged their attacks in the meantime. Most people would look at this oncoming assault and feel worried. As was clear by now, Magatsu was hardly like most people.

Pulling his arm back, he threw his sword towards the group, before breaking out into a sprint directly towards the projectiles. The spinning blade soon made contact with Mei's attack, bouncing from one orb to the next and knocking them all out of their previous trajectory. They flew past their target harmlessly, as he leapt over the fireball without a second thought. Knowing that they needed to buy time, Aki and Samantha took this as their cue to attack the currently unarmed foe, each going at him from a different angle to limit his defensive capabilities.

Even then, he proved too fast, dodging, blocking and jumping whenever the two tried to attack, making their efforts stalling at best. Kirijo prepared another burst of ice to catch him while he was off guard, hoping he wouldn't hit his allies, and that they wouldn't be too mad if he did. Magatsu noticed this out of the corner of his dull eye, and responded by reaching behind him and wrapping his arms around Samantha's neck. Then, using them to support himself, he lifted himself off the ground, kicking against Aki to push himself higher, before flipping onto the nekomata's back.

At the moment that the hooded Persona unleashed a second burst of ice, he leapt again, catching the sword that finally fell from the sky as the ice missed him again and instead clung to Samantha, momentarily tapping her. "What the...!? Watch it!"

No-one could afford to pay attention to he protests though, as the attacker came crashing towards Masaru, their weapons clashing, but the ronin easily suffering more from the collision. While he could think of nothing but holding his defences, Magatsu perched his feet on the other demon's blade, leaping off of it and further throwing off the dark haired man's centre of balance. Airborne again, Magatsu threw his sword a second time, now targeting Mei, who had almost prepared a second volley of orbs, disrupting the spell. Now with both his hands freed, he grabbed the leg of the nearby Damia, twisted in mid-air, and hurled her towards Medea, making her feel the force of the charged fireball. The sudden impact caused the inferno to explode outwards, stunning those around it, and breaking Chidori's focus on keeping her Persona in this world.

Once again he caught his sword before it hit the ground, this time just before he landed perfectly himself. Finally, he rushed Kirijo, who only just blocked in time, but was knocked off his feet from the sheer strength of the attack. Only once he had landed did he notice it had snapped his rapier in half, leaving him defenceless to further melee attacks.

The total time it took for Magatsu to shatter their planned attack and disorient or harm most of them was less than a minute.

With most of his targets disoriented, the mad man scanned the area, before his eyes locked onto Saiduq. The brawler had gotten a considerable distance in the timw he'd been running, but Magatsu knew he could catch him with ease. Sighing at how easy this had all been, he slowly started advancing in that direction, before abruptly moving at full speed. Those that were still standing moved to chase him, but all their fastest warriors had been knocked down or immobalised, meaning they stood no chance of catching him before he got to their already injured teammate.

Between Magatsu's speed and the brutal attacks from Hei, Ghost and Raiga, the entire team had been forced into submission. The only chance Shinjiro saw for victory was if he could summon Castor, but every time he tried to flex his hand enough to call the card, all new kinds of pain would fill him and distract him from the task. Still, he forced his hand open and called whatever strength he had left. Slowly, the card began to flicker into his hand. Just a little longer...

Saiduq finally reached the Geo Block, though he was uncertain how breaking it would help their current situation, given how bad it was to fight just one of these evil warriors. _"No...! Can't think like that! Focus, Saiduq!"_

Punching with all of his might, the block began to crack, yet it withstood the initial assault in one piece. Sweat building on his brow, he knew that the enemy was getting close to him, and that he was in no condition to fight back. Nevertheless, he pulled his fist back to strike again, uncertain if he'd have enough time to strike again.

So close to him now, Magatsu raised his sword, the angle perfectly set for a killing blow against the defenceless fighter. Behind him, he could hear shouts of desperation from the man's allies, but he didn't care. They had gotten in his way, and they needed to die for that transgression. A simple view, but it had carried him through his life so far, all in the hopes of meeting and killing that one man. The name rang out in his head. _"Mao... Mao...! Mao! MAO!"_

If he had been less consumed by those thoughts, he may have noticed another sound ringing off to the side of him, and perhaps dodged it in time. But he did not hear the distant sound of gunshot, and so was caught completely off guard when a bullet collided with his temple, startling him to a stop. Even for a demon, being hit so close to the brain was dangerous, and his senses were muddled for several second afterwards. In that time, Saiduq punched the block again and again, damaging it more and more. Masaru and Mei were also able to make the most of this distraction, and caught up to their target, both attacking him with their weapons.

His senses were still enough to block both of their attacks on instinct, but he was less precise with his efforts, and both got the impression that if they didn't relent, he would make a mistake soon. The three heroes didn't question where the shot came from, too focussed on their respective missions, while Chidori was distracted unfreezing Samantha, Damia was healing her own burns, and Kirijo and Aki were still pulling themselves to their feet.

Finally, Saiduq struck the object with enough force to shatter it, causing it to collapse in on itself, compacting into a singularity and vanishing. The once red line turned blue in reaction, and the barrier was finally gone. Even the least observant couldn't miss the change, and no-one was oblivious to its meaning. Ghost glanced at the line, then back at Raiga, the two still pushing their weapons against each other. "Go assist Magatsu. We can talk about your insubordination later."

"Why don't you do it yourself, instead of pushing the work on everyone else!?" The blonde barked back at him, not moving an inch. Hei, somehow still smirking, began rubbing his head at the sound of the two continuing to argue.

"Sure, I'll be the only one following the plan... Why would you want to follow it...?" He muttered to himself, unsheathing his sword again, and getting ready to stab Shinjiro with it. The Persona user prepared to crush the card in his palm and unleash his other self on the assassin, only to see him stop and look surprised about something. He turned to look towards the entrance to the room, then leapt away from his target, the reason why making itself clear a split second later. A blast of pure magical energy flew past him and exploded, knocking both to the ground from the force.

As Shinji tried to force himself upright again, everyone else looked at the source of the blast. Whoever had fired it had yet to step into the light, but a second charge flew outwards soon after, this time almost hitting Ghost and Raiga, finally ending their stare down. Each of the three villains were now staring at the entranceway, waiting for the next attack. It did not come from where they expected, when a torrent of bullets fired down from the ceiling at Hei, forcing him to start dodging and blocking. As he practically danced around the shots, an arrow made of light fired from the opposite direction, sailing through the air towards Ghost. The stoic man easily caught it, clearly not expecting it to explode in his face, staggering him.

With his companions distracted, Raiga looked at the still injured target, struggling to rise, blood flowing from his back. Seeing his chance for payback, he started advancing on him, axe pulled back to deal the final blow. He looked practically manic as he got within range, and prepared to strike, when he noticed something strange happening. "Wha...? What's this green light...!?"

Realising it was coming from behind him, he quickly spun around and was almost awed to see a warrior clutching a glowing spear soaring through the air, flames surrounding him as he prepared to impale him on the blade. It was only dumb luck and reflex that let him dodge the first blow, and the ensuing wave of fire was only stopped by using his axe as a shield. Even then, the new fighter didn't relent, lunging his spear forward to knock him back further, then swinging it in an almost complete circle to unbalance his prey more.

The attacker, who in his initial volley of attacks had never stayed still a moment longer than necessary, soon flipped in-between Shinjiro and Raiga, entering a defensive stance. The injured hero looked up at his saviour, and almost smiled from relief and recognition of his long absent ally.

"Agnus..."

The redhead smirked to himself as he glanced back at the man he considered his rival. "Did I keep you waiting, boss?"

"You're definitely late..." He tried to force himself upright, only to stumble again. Now scowling, Agnus called out.

"Gabe! Heal him, now!" At that command, a man in white floated down next to the injured human, a look of concern etched upon his graceful features. Without a second thought, he lay his hands upon Shinjiro's back, who expected another burst of pain, only to find a feeling of refreshment surge through him. He was feeling stronger than ever now, and he practically leapt to his feet. The blonde smiled to him as he clutched his bow.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, mister!" He said cheerfully, despite the circumstances. Shinji muttered a small thanks to him, before readying his sword and standing back to back to Agnus, defending him to return the favour.

"Was this your plan? Leave so you could dramatically show up to save the day?"

"If I said yes, would you be impressed?"

"I'd call you an asshole." He heard Agnus chuckle a little at the conversation.

"I didn't realise how much I missed that attitude of yours." He said with mirth before his voice became serious. "The boss bad guy is up ahead. You go deal with him, I can take blondie here."

"You think you can handle the other three?"

"Honestly, I'm amazed you couldn't. Maybe all that training I did has paid off, and now you'll have to catch up to me!" He spun around Shinijro as he spoke, spinning his spear simultaneously. "That other side of you...if anything here can stop that guy, it's that. Go. We can handle this."

The Persona user didn't like what he was hearing, but the logic inside him couldn't help but agree. He couldn't afford to waste time here, when the real threat was still ahead. But could he just leave his allies alone with such dangerous enemies? He didn't know if he could. Speaking of his allies, while Masaru and Mei continued to chip away at Magatsu's defences, the others regrouped around their leader, though he noticed a new face among the crowd, one wearing a hat with a heart shaped skull on it. He chose not to question it right now, since it was hardly the right time.

"Agnus is right. Together, we can stall 'em till you beat the Super Hero into the dirt!" Aki said confidently, despite his previous attempts to fight the mad swordsman. The others nodded in agreement, not a single one doubting themselves or their choice of leader. Looking at them now, it made it that much harder to tell himself to stay.

"Heeeeey! Can you hurry it up!? I'm running out of ammo up here!" Came a voice from the ceiling, almost everyone recognising it, and smiling a little at the return of another old ally.

"Hey, Juro! Where have you been!?" Aki yelled up at him, as if they weren't fighting for the fate of the netherworld. While he did, something leapt from the balcony next to him, set to land on top of Magatsu. The two people already fighting him noticed this and moved away, surprising the man who clearly had not noticed that something was coming to flatten him. He only saw it just before it happened, and even dodging didn't protect him, as the impact of a large axe sent debris flying around the point of impact, some of it crashing into the psychotic warrior with plenty of force.

"And THAT is how you make an entrance!" The man who had just made his own personal crater bellowed. Anyone who knew him would recognise Dai's voice and love of brute force. While he had been busy destroying the room, Damia had grabbed Juro and flown him down to meet with the others.

"Thank you, beautiful!" He said, bowing dramatically to the succubus. She responded in kind.

"Anything for such a brave hero! Anything~!"

"Stop flirting and get ready for a fight!" Kirijo yelled at them, getting their attention, before he turned to their leader.

"Go, Aragaki. Between us, we can handle these miscreants. Defeat Aurum so we can go home."

"He's right, loathe as I am to admit it." Chidori said, calling Medea to her side. "We have other battles to fight still. Don't make us waste time here."

The leader scowled at what the others were saying. He had hoped to keep them all together, for as long as he could, but if they swore they could do it, then it would be a greater insult to them to stay. Turning his back on them so they couldn't see his conflicted expression, he had to speak his next words through gritted teeth. "You'd all better catch up to me!"

And with that he ran towards the exit, not daring to stop for anything. Raiga, Ghost and Hei each tried to attack him as he passed, but Agnus quickly struck at the thunder themed warrior, the stoic swordsman was intercepted by Masaru, and the assassin found himself knocked aside by the axe of the newcomer girl. Thanks to their reflexes, everyone witnessed Shinjiro Aragaki continue onward through the Overlord's castle, his path leading towards the final battle with Aurum.

Most felt pride and joy to see him go to fulfil their mission, while their enemies scowled at having failed their mission. But one watched with a look of apprehension and worry, as it stirred questions buried. Mei seemed to forget the battle surrounding her as she looked at his back as he vanished into the distance.

"Go after him." Juro whispered to her, a supportive smile spreading across his face. "I'm sure he'd be happy for the back-up."

"...Thank you, Juro." She said to him, sprinting after her leader as the others filed into a defensive circle, the four enemies all taking a place around them. She didn't know if following him would answer her questions, but she wouldn't find out unless she tried. Behind her, she could hear a yell from Agnus.

"Come on, you bastards! The fun's just getting started!"


	53. Chapter 49 - Monster Among Demons

**Chapter 49 - Monster Among Demons**

* * *

The Overlord's Castle had too many stairs. This was one of the only things Shinjiro was able to think of as he climbed yet another seemingly endless staircase towards his objective. He didn't know why it needed this many, and he wouldn't be surprised if they were leading him as far away from his opponent as possible. That would fit in with his typical luck. Still, he climbed because there seemed to be no better options at the moment, and if he went back to take the other route, he'd render the efforts of his allies meaningless.

That was one of the only other thoughts he'd been able to have on this stupidly long staircase. Had it been the right call to leave them to fight while he went on? Would they be fine without him? Would he be ok without them? What motivated Agnus, Dai and Juro to come back now? He wasn't sure of the answers to any of these questions, and the more he tried to work them out, the more he scolded himself for not focussing on the task at hand, or not believing in his allies enough. They were fighting their battle so he could win an even more important victory. That's all he needed to think about right now.

And so he sprinted endlessly upwards, until finally a dark sky could be seen in-front of him, breaking from the repetitive white walls he was surrounded by. He doubled his efforts, finally emerging from the cold brightness to a comforting darkness, the dark clouds seeming refreshing after his long journey through the castle. He didn't have time to catch his breath though, as he soon caught a glimpse of Mao's group. _"So, the other route was faster... Typical."_

"You're all here? Then I guess the Super Hero is..." He trailed off as he reached closer to the group, and saw that they were standing opposite to something. The figure had the rough shape of a muscular human, Aurum to be specific, with a robe around his lower half, and nothing covering his torso. He had flowing brown hair and pitch black eyes, which were currently glaring at everyone he could see. Behind him was something he hesitated to describe, the best he could come up with being some sort of mishmash of white wings, horns and a golden circle behind the head. Finally, he held a curved sword made of purple energy, the same energy flowing over his body in an aura of malice. "...The hell is this shit?"

The man grit his teeth and growled at the comment. "You too? None of you have any appreciation for the beauty of power!"

"You've got real crappy taste." Shinjiro said bluntly, not feeling inclined to mince words around his target. Before Aurum could speak again, he turned to Almaz. "Sorry I'm late. We ready to kick his ass?"

The blue-haired swordsman looked at him, paused for a second, and then nodded. "Yeah. We're ready to end this."

"About time. I got more important places to be than here." He held his sword over his shoulder, ready to strike the moment the battle started. He could see the so called Super Hero visibly frustrated at how little respect he as being shown by the collected group, and couldn't resist feeling a little satisfied at the thought of riling his opponent after all the trouble he'd put them through. Around him, the others prepared their weapons, and he for the first time noticed that a few people outside of Mao's group had made it here. He wasn't surprised to see Master Big Star, considering how much damage Aurum had done to the people he called his comrades, though he was surprised to see Salvatore the Magnificent there, since the last time he'd seen her, she was still on their enemy's side. He supposed it didn't matter though, seeing as she was in the midst of former enemies, clearly ready to fire at their mutual foe, so for now he took his attention away from her, and back to the one he was determined to defeat.

Speaking of which, the man's anger seems to have reached a boiling point, as he roared in rage, his aura expanding enough to generate a strong current of wind in the area surrounding him. Everyone could feel their feet sliding back a little against the gale, but no-one dulled their stances for a moment, all remaining ready to fight the monstrosity before them. When it finally calmed down, he pointed his sword forward, as if daring the collected group to attack him, or warning them that his own assault was imminent.

"Wow! That thing's so hideous!" Came a voice from behind them. Most didn't look at who was there, but Shinjiro couldn't help but spin around to spot Mei standing barely five feet away from him, with a look of complete wonder on her face, as she stared at Aurum's monstrous form. "I bet if I cut him open, I'd learn all sorts of cool stuff!"

"Hey! Don't get any ideas! I'm the evil genius around here, so if anyone's gets his corpse, it's gonna be me!" Mao yelled back at her, turning away from the subject in question to do so. Now everyone turned to look at the two as they began arguing about who had the right to insert sharp objects into their opponent.

"You've already got more test subject than me!"

"This guy's MY enemy, so his body is MY property!"

"He's everyone's enemy, so why should you get dibs?"

"Because he was my enemy first!"

"ENOUGH!" Aurum roared, interrupting the argument, before leaping forward and swinging his sword down at Mao. Reacting the fastest of the collected group, Almaz got in-between the hero and the honour student, blocking the force of the attack with his own knightly blade. The strength of the blow forced him to his knees, but no more, and his attacker didn't get a second chance to attack before having to dodge an axe that Sapphire was using to channel what could only be described as fury directly towards his face.

Drifting back to his original position, Aurum was once again the focus of everyone's attention, with the bickering ceasing as he addressed them all. "You interfere in my plan, which I have devoted entire lifetimes to perfecting, you insult my beautiful godly form, and then you simply ignore me!? ME!? I didn't live this long and work so hard TO BE IGNORED!"

Stabbing the air with his weapon, four fragments of his dark aura split off from the rest of the sinister energy and drifted to the sides of him, forming perfect spheres once they did. After one second, a small being materialised appeared in each orb, clinging to itself as it curled into a ball. Another second, and it grew to the size of a child, gold, spiky hair sprouting from its head. A third second lead to it growing to the size of a full adult, hair now looking more comparable to a lion's mane than anything else. Fully grown, clothes materialised on these beings, accentuating their muscular, masculine frames. When the aura containing them dispersed, each landed on their feet, their heads turned downwards.

"Demons I have conquered... I breath into you new life, as my servants! Arise as the strongest of demons! Arise, Majin!"

Gin took a step back as he heard the name spoken. "Majin...!? This could be tougher than we thought..."

"Doesn't matter. I'll keep their attention alone if I have to." Crosses said in a deadpan tone, moving to cover Mao, should any of the Majin move to attack him. Champloo moved to the other side of the Overlord's son, similarly prepared for an imminent attack.

"Leave these side dishes to us! Mao, the main course is all yours! Boom!"

"Don't tell me what I already know! Just do your jobs!" He said to them, in an almost playful way, though still in a tone that implied he still expected them to follow his orders to the letter. In-front of them, the Majin each crossed their arms and raised their heads to glare across at their foes, golden auras igniting around them, and weapons appearing across their backs. They stood, waiting for their enemies to make the first move, and everyone knew they were being goaded to attack, yet had no option but to charge.

Sapphire was to first to do so, rushing the nearest Majin with her axe overhead. The creature matched her movement by thrusting its hand towards the weapon as it lowered, grabbing the handle and halting its swing before it could connect. Capitalising on her momentary surprise at the failed attack, the Majin used his foot to catch her ankle, forcing her off balance, and then punching her in the face before she could recover, knocking her to the ground.

Not eager to see the woman he loved attacked by a monster, Almaz moved with impressive speed to attack the Majin before he could continue his assault. Pulling out three swords, he dashed forward, feeling all three strike against metal as he passed, but that was not enough to deter him from leaping back to continue his assault. His opponent blocked all of the attacks with his spear, spinning the polearm in a circle at high enough speed to create a shield.

Fortunately, this left him open to a sneak attack from Shinjiro, who swung his sword with all the strength he could muster, and it was still only just enough to make the creature stop defending from Almaz's attack,, resulting in the blue-haired swordsman leaving numerous curs along his head and midsection. With his attack finished, he landed on one side of the Majin, while Shinjiro stood on the opposite side, cornering it between them. "We can handle this one! Everyone, keep the others distracted till Mao can finish this!"

Despite not being their leader, the collected group seemed to trust Almaz enough to listen, and started forming groups to fight the Majin. When she got back up, Sapphire stood with Almaz against the spearman of the Majin. The one armed with a sword soon found himself locking blades with Master Big Star, while Kyoko and Asuka made quick strikes whenever he was distracted. The archer of the Majin's remained still as Cross and Salvatore ran in circles around him, exchanging shots at rapid speed. That left the last Majin, one wielding an axe, to hold off Champloo's rapid punches and alternating spells from Raspberyl and Gin.

While most found their place in the battle quickly, the late arrival of the group seemed to be faced with a dilemma. On the one hand, Mei couldn't resist the chance to see how something as disgustingly powerful as Aurum was up close, but on the other hand, she felt a strange, impossible to describe desire to help Shinjiro in his fight, even though she assumed he had the situation under control.

_"It's because he's my test subject. Right...?"_ She asked herself, eyes wandering back-and forth between the former Super Hero and the Majin the subject of her thoughts was currently attacking. She saw Mao block a downward swing from Aurum's blade and quickly spin into a horizontal swing of his own at the monstrosity's midsection, and then witnessed Shinjiro grab the spear of his enemy as it lunged at him, holding his foe in place long enough to headbutt him into a brutal attack from the bloodthirsty princess.

On the surface, the choice was obvious. Mao was alone, Shinjiro was not. Mao was fighting the most powerful opponent, Shinjiro was not. Mao's victory would mean the end of this war, Shinjiro's would not.

She was attacking the Majin before she could stop herself. Holding her spear overhead, she threw it at her target's head as she ran towards him. The Majin, momentarily free from assault from the other three, used his own weapon to knock the projectile away, only for Mei to catch it before it could land and begin a series of lunging strikes. All were blocked, but she had left it open for the Persona user and the new hero to slash the monster's back at the same time, before Sapphire sunk her axe into the back of its skull. The Majin dropped to the ground as anything would after such an assault, leaving the four warriors to regroup.

"You two want to help Mao? The two of us can handle the rest of these bastards." The metal armed warrior said to his allies, as Sapphire forcefully yanked her weapon free, revealing how deeply into her victim it had gone.

"Thank you, Sir Shinjiro. We will carve our enemy in two before you know it!" The blood soaked princess said with an almost certainly unhealthy enthusiasm. She then turned to see if Almaz was ready to help their leader, only to find he had already run off, aiding Mao in a full force assault to push Aurum back. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, she hoisted her blade over her shoulder, and charged forward.

With Shinjiro and his one ally now standing alone, the two looked at each other. "Ready to beat the crap out of some assholes?"

"Do I get to dissect them after?"

"...Sure." Was all he could think to say at the time. Her devotion to experimentation was impressive in a way, though he was convinced that him believing that was a bad sign for his mental state. Pushing that aside for now, he scanned the battlefield for the best target, deciding that the archer was the one that most needed a punch to the face. Feeling that words were unnecessary, he simply charged forward, trusting that Mei would follow him of her own accord. He was correct, and she actually outran him, using her spear to deflect any incoming arrows from hitting him, leaving the archer to rapidly back away, trying his best to ignore the ongoing assault of the two gunners still firing on him.

The combined efforts were too much to all fend off, and after a quick spear swing severed the string of his bow, the Majin found a metallic hand wrapped around his throat, before he was abruptly lifted and slammed into the ground. The two melee fighters quickly leapt backwards, moments before a giant bullet ridden by Salvatore the Magnificent descended from the sky directly onto the downed demon, detonating a split second later when Cross fired a glowing red bullet straight into it. With that Majin currently fused into the ground, the gunners turned their attention towards Aurum, who was currently fending off attacks from three different blades at once, and now had to swing the massive structure floating behind him in a way to try and block the incoming shots.

"Is it just me, or do these guys not match the hype?" Shinjiro couldn't help but ask. It had felt like both the Majin he'd attacked had fallen very easily, and yet Gin had sounded so nervous when they appeared.

"Maybe we're stronger than we thought?" Mei said in response, though she sounded unconvinced. She was socially challenged, but not a fool, and she too could see this was suspicious. But even though they both knew it to be the case, they couldn't tell what kind of trap was being set, and could only hope they could deal with it when it came along.

"...Come on. Let's get this done quick!" He said, trying to sound less cautious than he actually was, before getting in close to the axe wielding Majin, blocking the heavy weapon with his own, so that Champloo could launch a series of rapid kicks while the beast couldn't defend himself. When it was finally able to free itself from the assault and get its weapon away from Shinjiro, he very quickly found a spear stabbing him in the back, followed by two large fireballs searing him from both directions. When they subsided, he collapsed instantly, allowing Mei to pull her polearm free.

Three down, and each ally they were occupying was now free to help their leader and, regardless of how much he denied it, friend. Only one Majin remained conscious; the swordsman of the four, and he seemed to be the strongest of the four, as he had successfully countered Kyoko and Asuka, disabling them temporarily, so he could launch a savage assault on the Sophomore leader uninterrupted. The fancily dressed man was good, blocking the attacks with speed and grace, but he was clearly slipping under the constant attacks. The arrival of two allies soon remedied that.

With Shinjiro taking the pressure off of Master Big Star, Mei snuck behind him and charged energy into herself, before forming it into three monochrome orbs. The human and the demon smirked to themselves before jumping back, giving the Majin just enough time to realise what was going to happen, but not enough to do anything to prevent it. The orbs stuck to him as intended, then detonated as intended, and then sent him flying through the air as intended. Overall, it had been a completely successful attack, and now all of Mao's group were converging their assault on an increasingly overwhelmed Aurum.

Or so it seemed. Once everyone was around him, Aurum swung his arms outwards, releasing a burst of energy that knocked them all back a clear five feet, before levitating out of reach. "Prepare to fire!"

He drifted back, revealing a sight that left all that gathered there shocked. Somehow, the four seemingly defeated Majin had risen without being noticed and gathered in the sky, each extending a hand towards a rapidly growing orb of pure destructive energy. It seemed impossible to comprehend how they had made it that far unnoticed, but now was hardly the time to wonder. Anyone with a way of attacking from a distance did so, with Cross and Salvatore firing upwards, and Mao, Beryl, Gin and Mei using what magic they could to try to blast the demon lords out of the sky. Each attack veered away before it could connect, an invisible force protecting the four from all harm.

Running out of options, Shinjiro called forth is other self, channelling all the willpower he could into forcing the Persona skywards. "Castor!"

With his name invoked, the Gemini twin and his steed appeared and rushed into the air, fist pulled back and ready to strike. Despite the distance between attacker and target, the giant closed the distance with amazing speed. With speed that could put the fastest of vehicles to shame, the horn of the demonic steed struck the barrier surrounding the Majin, energy bursting from the point of collision. At the same time, the rider began pummelling his fists against the forcefield, each with enough strength to shatter men and demons alike. Yet throughout it all, the shield remained steadfast, Castor's efforts not being able to pierce it, or even momentarily distract the Majin from their task.

Still it attacked until the moment Aurum spoke again. "Fire!"

The very moment that single word was uttered, a pillar of pure energy shot towards the ground and all that had gathered on the roof of the Overlord's castle. Castor, not being agile enough to dodge, was hit by the blast and forced away, inflicting a considerable amount of pain on his user. This pain was matched by what came next, as the attack impacted with the ground, releasing a shockwave that sent everyone flying backwards in agony. The force of the attack could only be described as hellish, and no-one was quick to rise after it finally subsided.

"Fools! Now do you see how outmatched you are!? If you had let Mao unleash his full demonic powers, you might have stood a chance! But as you are, you're not even fit to fight my henchmen!" Aurum mocked them, though an anger could be heard in his voice as well, as if their inability to fight him was an insult to him. "You're no good to me anymore, so you might as well die!"

At that command, the Majin began charging to fire again, but no-one was ready to counter. The force of that last impact had banished Castor, and everyone who could have attacked was still recovering and wouldn't have time to launch a counterattack. Shinjiro grit his teeth as he glared at the growing orb, mind desperately searching for any solution to this problem, yet seeing none. None until a second voice joined his thoughts.

_"I can't stop it. You can't stop it. But maybe, WE can."_

He knew what his other self suggested, and he wondered what other choice he had. He wished there was another way, since it was a gamble if that power would last long enough to be useful, and if it didn't he'd be left defenceless. After a few seconds of ideas failing to come to him, he knew what he had to do. "Mei... Get back...!"

With his last act before beginning the process, he pushed Mei away from him, clearing the space around him. Then his mind recited a verse he'd heard only once, and yet still remembered perfectly, before bringing his hand to his face. A mask of pure light appeared on him, before vanishing into his skin. His muscles grew, as did his hair as it turned gold, the same shade as his eyes became. He stared at his prosthetic arm and clenched it, unleashing the same power flowing through him into the false limb, encasing it in a black, strong substance, which formed a fierce, monstrous claw.

Castor smirked as he examined his new arm. "This oughta be fun! Let's test it out!"

Everyone else stared as the hybrid being calmly walked underneath where the Majin's attack had last struck, and where it was bound to strike again. The fusion of two beings had clearly healed him of pain, or made him so strong that he could simply ignore it, while they were still only just finding their feet again. Only one person had not seen this form before, as she had been unconscious at the time, and now she stared at it with a mix of fascination and horror. Mei didn't even realise she was shaking, or know why this creature scared her more than anything else she'd witnessed so far, but a primal terror washed over her. "S-Shinjiro...?"

The being inhabiting his body turned to look at her, smirk vanishing into an emotionless glare. "No. Stay out of my way."

His cold tone made it clear he wasn't making a suggestion, but ordering her not to even come near him. Not only did Mei listen, but she started backing away, to get away from his gaze. Only when her back was to the wall did he turn away and back to the Majin floating overhead. He chuckled to himself as he flexed his claws, more akin to the blades of a scythe than fingers, and lowered himself, ready to leap. "I'll take these four, if you think you can handle the bug one, shortie."

It took a moment for Mao to accept that he was the one being spoken to, despite the fact Castor looked at him as he spoke, and when he did realise, he started to fume. "Shortie!? Did you forget who you're talking to!?"

"Nope, I just don't give a shit! See ya!" Not waiting for another outburst from Mao, he leaped into the air, the single push of his legs carrying him impossibly high at speeds even greater than the Persona could achieve on its own. For the first time, the Majin seemed surprised by what was occurring, and readied themselves to fire their attack. By the time they fired, Castor was barely a foot below them, and all the magic energy discharged directly at him, with enough force to kill any human or demon it struck.

Fortunately, Castor was neither. Holding his claw in-between himself and the blast, the attack struck his open palm and dispersed in all directions except the one it was being aimed at. To make matters worse for the summoned demons, the attack failed to slow down their attacker in any noticeable way, and he soon charged straight through the source of the beam and passed them. Three of them turned to face him, readying their weapons. The fourth was sent flying, giant red gashes appearing upon his chest as he hurtled backwards, before falling at terminal velocity. When he struck the roof of the castle, the whole structure shook and buckled, for a moment making those around fear the whole place would collapse, and those absent from the battle to wonder what could cause such a shockwave.

Castor wasn't done though, as he swept with his leg as his momentum finally stopped, catching one of the Majin by the chin, then twisting his body to fling him down as well. If anything, this one travelled even faster to the ground, but his lack of other injuries allowed him to divert his path away from the castle, before using his power to send himself back into the air, spear ready to stab his attacker. While that one tried to bridge the gap between himself and his foe, the Persona possessed man grabbed another Majin by the shoulder with his normal hand, preventing himself from falling by latching onto the floating being. Said being did not appreciate this, and tried to swing his axe into the monstrous force before him, though the hand on his shoulder made it hard to swing with any real momentum, leaving all attempts lacking enough strength to pierce the golden eyed man's skin.

"Relax. This is my stop anyway." With another casual smirk, Castor let go of the man, allowing himself to fall back to the ground. The Majin had half a second to realise why, before his own charging ally accidentally stabbed him with his sword, which would not have happened had their enemy remained still. He howled in pain, a sound the Persona enjoyed in a moment of schadenfreude, before forcing his ally off of him and clutching his stab wound, lest it start raining blood onto the battlefield. Castor soared downwards, only stopping when he grabbed a spire and used it to slow himself, practically shattering it as he did. "For such strong demons, you're really disappointing to fight! Come on! I'll give you a free shot!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he had to jump to dodge an attack from behind by the spear wielding Majin, who struck with enough power to finish destroying the spire as he collided with it. The Persona thanked his heightened senses as he saw the glistening silver tip of the weapon sink into the stone, before he instinctively kicked the demon in the face again, knocking him back. But with no connection to solid ground and large chunks of rock falling around him, Castor soon found himself falling again, rapidly losing sight of the rest of the battleground. _"What the hell was that!?"_

"Did I forget to mention I have problems with spears?" He almost nervously said in response to his other self's question. "It's not my fault one killed me in my legend!"

_"...Whatever. Just don't let my body keep falling."_ A carefree grin returned at the instruction, a plan already forming in Castor's mind. Some of the debris had already fallen past him, so if he could time it right, he could manoeuvre his way back up one stone at a time. Adjusting himself to land on the nearest stone that would support him, he planted his feet on it and used it to leap to the highest point he could reach. The unstable ground meant it was hard to reach the top, but he found another stone to jump off of. Before he could soar higher, he heard something from above and sidestepped not a moment too soon, as the rock he was on was soon obliterated by the impact of an axe. Landing on another boulder somewhere beneath him was the Majin he had earlier held onto, still bleeding from the midsection, but not letting the injury slow him down. _"...Don't."_

"Too late!" Shinjiro knew what Castor was going to do, but was powerless to stop his other self from twisting himself around and launching himself back down, slamming his claw into the spot where his target had been standing a moment ago, splitting it into several smaller, yet still large, stones that each of the combatants landed on. "What? You looking to have another hole in you? I'll punch one straight through you!"

The axe wielder said nothing, simply gesturing for him to attack, a request he was happy to grant. This time, he swept with his claw, hoping to catch his prey from the side and end this quickly. Already knowing the dangers of the monstrous appendage, the Majin jumped over it, planting his axe into another rock to hold himself above the beast. When Castor's feet touched down on the rock, he instantly had to move again, when the swordsman came out of seemingly nowhere to swing at him, catching the edge of the claw before his opponent could escape. Without the proper time to check where he was landing, Castor was caught drifting through the air without a plan, and catching a glimpse of silver approaching him from above made him start to panic, as that could only mean one thing, and not something he'd like.

Sure enough, the spear he dreaded so much was hurtling towards him, owner perched on it to keep it pointed directly at his chest. Panicking and thinking desperately, all Castor could think to do was throw rocks randomly, none of which succeeded in hitting the target. _"Castor? Castor!?"_

"A little busy right now!"

_"I have a plan, but you're going to need to do as I say."_

"If it gets me away from that thing, you got it!" Castor could feel his user give the same smirk that he had given the Majin when he first gained control, and listened as the plan went through his mind at rapid speed. "...Heh. Hahahaha! You got it, you crazy bastard!"

The spearman continued his descent. The swordsman got into a position to leap and cut at the same time. The axe wielder got ready to strike from overhead. Unless the unspoken plan worked, this assault would be more than enough to kill Persona and user. With no other options, they executed it, becoming enveloped in a bright blue light. Blinded, the Majin didn't know what was going on, and just prepared to attack as planned.

They were not expecting to see a hellish horse and rider charge out of the light towards the descending spear. The sudden development caused the swordsman and the axe wielder to miss their mark and have to reposition themselves. The spearman was confused at the charge and change in tactics, but held his course, figuring that he could kill whatever this thing was all the same.

Then Castor stopped moving, and another figure shot skyward, carried by the momentum of the larger being.

Angling himself, Shinjiro dodged the tip of the spear and uppercut the demon right in the nose with his metal fist, shattering it. Stopped by the impact, he then grabbed the spear, which his foe was too surprised and in pain to prevent him from doing, and let himself fall back into Castor's arms. Safely in the care of his Persona again, he raised the polearm, just in time for the Majin to land stomach first on his own weapon. Ignoring the blood that poured onto him from such an act, he threw both the weapon and its owner aside, before leaning into his Persona and feeling the two meld into a single being again.

Seconds later, Shinjiro and Castor were once again a single, powerful being, and landed on yet another piece of debris. "Not bad, my other self! Now you just sit back and let me take care of the rest!"

_"Got it. Just try to finish this before we land. I don't want to have to climb all those goddamn stairs again."_ The united being laughed heartily at the comment, seemingly ignoring the fact the other two opponents had repositioned themselves and were about to attack from opposite sides of him. Of course, when they actually did attack, he proved how much attention he had been giving to the situation by blocking the sword with his claw and side stepping the axe, knocking that threat away with a headbutt afterwards. With one dazed, the titan knocked the other's weapon away in a way that also spun him around, before grabbing him with both hands around the waist, holding on too tightly for the former swordsman to shake free. With his grip established, he leaned backwards, suplexing the Majin into the stone so hard that his head became stuck in it.

Getting back up, Castor looked at the sight with disappointment. "Damn. I was hoping he'd land on the other one. Speaking of which..."

He looked around, trying to spot where the last of his enemies was, as he seemed to have slipped away while he was distracted. Figuring that he could at least use this chance to get up to higher ground, he began jumping off of each of the remaining stones until he escaped the debris field. Free of obstruction, he could now see how far from the roof he was now, and yet there was still what felt like miles between him and the ground. Turning his eyes downwards, he scanned for the last enemy, figuring he must still be lurking in the cloud of stone somewhere. Sure enough, he caught a sight of the axe's blade as it and its wielder moved towards him one stone at a time. Feeling his own momentum running out, Castor got ready to fall towards the last of his prey and finish this.

He began to fall as his adversary made his final leap towards him, weapon at the ready. Axe and claw met in mid-air, knocking each other aside, before their owners each grabbed onto each other and began punching each other in the face as they sank through the air. For someone with a stab wound straight through his body and being struck by a being of almost absurd power, the Majin showed impressive stamina and strength, hitting back just as many times as he was hit, and even doing so with enough power to make the fused being reel back a few times, his golden aura flaring against a faint blue one slowly manifesting around the other being. But in the end, there could only be one winner, and Castor was determined for it to be him, so in a decisive move, he grabbed his foe by the back of the neck and used all his strength to spin him around and slam his face into the nearest rock. And then the next rock down, and then the one below that, and every other one he could reach as he began his freefall. Even then, the bruised and bloodied fighter tried as best he could to break free and do more damage to the titan until he could stand no more, which was the same point the two finally reached the ground, with his face being the first thing to connect.

Castor landed atop his thoroughly defeated foe, followed by dozens of large rocks landing around them, including one which still had another Majin stuck in it, with the unfortunate demon having the entire boulder land on-top of him as he landed, followed by at least two more. If he hadn't been unconscious like the others before, he was now. The Persona panted as he landed, adrenaline wearing off and the limits of his host body finally reached. _"Come on! We've gotta get back in there! The others are still fighting!"_

"Yeah... Because we're in...just the...right shape to...keep fighting..." He said to his other self as he sank to one knee. No matter how much he wanted to keep fighting, it was impossible, and soon his other self would realise that. "But if you...want to try...go ahead..."

With those last words, he relinquished control, and went into a deep sleep inside Shinjiro's mind. As soon as he regained control, the human felt exactly the same way his Persona did, with all exhaustion and fatigue hitting him like one of the many parts of the spire they had destroyed. Panting too much to even speak, he desperately crawled towards what he hoped was an entrance, before finally it was too much, and his eyes drifted closed, a dull thud sounding in his ears as he collapsed, before all the rest of the world drifted away from him.

* * *

"And I'll just move this piece...here." A man in a black outfit and hat said as he moved a similarly coloured chess piece into one of the pieces of his opponent, a pawn to be exact. "Your move."

"So, Aurum failed in his ambitions?" The white suited man said as he looked over the board.

"It would seem so. And let me tell you, boss, I bet he wishes he'd never come to the Netherworld now." The man in the hat said with a disturbing amount of glee.

"True. The Overlord's son is not one to hold back, is he?" Came the blonde's stoic reply, observing the pawn that had been used to destroy his own. "I feel we'll have to postpone the game."

"Awww, we'll never get to finish if you keep stalling! I bet you just use this time to look up strategy's behind my back!" Their was a playfulness in his tone, enough for it to be clear he wasn't taking this seriously.

"With your tactics, I never need to. But the game will be out of our hands for the foreseeable future. We'd best prepare ourselves for what Achlys decides to do with their turn."

"True, true." The man in black stood and tipped his hat over his white hair. "You want a front row seat for this? Maybe some nice wine to go with it?"

"That sound lovely. After all..." The man in white turned to a screen showing what was happening in Evil Academy, as well as one showing a school in Japan being approached by a blue haired boy and a red haired girl. "This promises to be quite the show."


End file.
